Demon of the Dead
by Hydrocity3
Summary: This is a HOTD X DFO Fanfic. The whole story takes place in the HOTD Universe, but most of the OC's will be based on a Dungeon Fighter character.
1. Chapter 1

"If nothing else, I see you at least remember the most important lessons…"

These were the words that echoed through Ryuji's mind as he awoke from his dream. "Another one of those dreams again. Tch! Old Man…"

Ryuji was a third year at Fujimi High and like all the students wore the typical school uniform which consisted of an all-black jacket and jeans combo with a white t-shirt to balance it out. He had spiky white hair, red eyes, and wore chains on his left arm which were covered in bandages which to say the least made him stand out from his peers. He was taking his usual afternoon nap on the highest spot on the roof of Fujimi High.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

"The hell was that? It sounded like moaning."

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Upon hearing it again, Ryuji stood and walked to the edge of the roof. What he saw… didn't shock him one bit. People were eating people, in other words… real life zombies. "Well now, you don't see that every day. "Clearly I'm still dreaming…" He yawned. I'm going back to sleep, I need to catch some more Z's." He walked back to his usual resting spot and tried to go back to sleep. But voices from somewhere nearby kept interrupting.

"Why…? Why?"

"If I didn't do it, you would have been eaten."

"I didn't want you to save me. I didn't want to see Hisashi like this. If this is how I'm going to live, I'd rather have him bite me!"

"Hisashi wouldn't have wanted that."

"What the fuck do you know? I see… that's how it is. You never liked him, right? Because he was my boyfriend, right!?"

Ryuji reluctantly opened his eyes. "The hell is it this time? Its 2:30pm in the afternoon and people are trying to sleep… or in this case wake up." Ryuji rolled over onto his stomach and quietly crawled towards the source of the noise which turned out to be a pair of students. One of them was a boy of average build with spiky black hair and brown eyes while the other was a girl with orange-brown hair and golden brown eyes.

"Hey… where are you going?" The girl asked.

"I don't think you want me here. So I'm going to beat the fuck out of them." The boy responded with a serious tone.

"What the hell are you saying? You can't do anything alone. Hey, Takashi… No! Stop! I'm sorry! I was kidding! I didn't mean what I said! Please…! I beg you! Stay with me!"

Ryuji looked down at the pair as they embraced each other. They were on a lower part of the roof. "Ok, first it was the undead and now a soap opera? What the hell is going on here? Guess this is no time to be sleeping." Ryuji stood and jumped down startling both the boy and the girl. He let out another yawn as he recovered from the jump. Turning towards the pair and completely ignoring the world around him, he nonchalantly said, "Morning."

"What do you mean by morning!? Haven't you seen what's been happening!?" the girl shouted.

"Look, give me a break alright. I just got up, so I'm still half asleep. All I know is that I went up on the roof to take my usual nap, only to wake up and find the whole school decided to reenact Dawn of the Dead." Ryuji answered.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

The students turned their attention to the make-shift barricade of desks and chairs which constantly kept shaking. "Seems like they're trying to break through. Since we have some time, how bout we introduce ourselves. The name's Ryuji Arisawa, third year." He stated.

"My name is Takashi Komuro, second year and her name is Rei Miyamoto." Takashi replied.

"It's nice to meet you." Rei said with a bow.

"So, I take it the both of you are just as clueless as I am?" Ryuji asked.

The younger students nodded their heads.

Ryuji sighed as he scanned his surroundings, spotting the body of a dead student. "Guess he wasn't as lucky as you two." He solemnly said.

"His name was Hisashi, my best friend and her boyfriend." Takashi replied with a pained look.

"Sorry." Answered Ryuji as he propped himself against the wall and sat down.

Takashi and Rei followed suit, the trio sitting in silence.

Takshi looked like he was in deep thought.

"What's the matter?" Rei asked.

"Nothing. I'm just wondering what's going on."

Rei narrowed her eyes. "Well, you're honest."

"Why would I lie?" He scratched his head wondering what the point of this conversation was and nodded toward Ryuji. "He hasn't said a word since we sat down. Hey, Senpai…" Takashi looked more closely at the third year student and realized he was resting peacefully with his eyes closed. He turned back to Rei with a look of complete disbelief. "He's sleeping. Honestly, how can someone be so calm in a situation like this?" He shook his head. "Guess it's better than him freaking out, but still that's not normal."

Rei stood up and extended her hand. "At any rate, I think I'm going to try and call my dad. May I use your phone?"

Takashi handed her the phone and watched as she began dialing. "I know your dad's a cop, but the emergency line's got to be jammed."

"There's a secret number I can only call in an emergency." She replied as the phone began ringing and then connected. *Ring* *Ring* *Ring* "It got through." Takashi came close to her and listened in. "Daddy?"

"Hello? This number… is it Takashi-kun?"

"Daddy? Daddy, we're at school and…"

"Is it Takashi? Did Rei give you this number? Is Rei okay? The signal's too… "

"Daddy! Can't you hear me!?" Rei raised her voice, beginning to panic.

"Listen… your family… the city is…"

"Daddy! Daddy!" Rei shouted panicking even more when she heard a gunshot at the other end of the line.

"Got it? The city is in complete chaos… Get out of-" *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

"No signal? But he just picked up! Why? Why!?" she yelled as she re-dialed the number.

"Rei!" Takashi said, trying to calm her down.

"Takashi…" She looked at him with tears in her eyes and a look of despair on her face. "My dad… didn't even realize… it was me."

"The whole city… huh?" Ryuji interrupted.

Takashi looked perplexed. "I thought you were asleep."

Ryuji sounded annoyed. "I was, until you two decided raising your voices was a good idea."

"I'm… sorry…" Rei mumbled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to direct that at you." Ryuji turned his attention to Takashi. "You have a plan…?" Just then the barricade gave a huge shudder and actually shifted a few inches inward. "Because it looks like they're just about to break through."

Takashi looked around and saw a door. He walked over and opened it to reveal a fire hose. "We'll use this." Takashi grabbed the fire hose and pointed it at the barricade while Rei stood ready to turn it on.

The undead kept beating down the barricade till eventually they broke through.

"Eat Shit!" Takashi yelled as the jet stream forcefully pushed the undead back down the steps.

"Good job." Ryuji said as he gave Takashi a pat on the back. "Let's go." He calmly walked down the steps, the chains that bind his left arm rattling with each step he took.

Takashi took notice of the sound and for the first time took a good look at the 3rd year student. "Hey Senpai. What's with those chains?"

Rei came down the steps holding a broom stick with a sharpened end in one hand and Takashi's bat from earlier in the other. She handed Takashi back his bat. "I've wondered about that as well. Why are you wearing those chains? They look heavy."

"You mean this?" Ryuji answered as he held up his left arm. "That's a long story. I'll tell you about it sometime, but for now let's focus on surviving." He turned his attention to them and charged the horde taking out most of them in his wake while Rei and Takashi followed his lead bashing and stabbing the stragglers that came within range. The pair looked on in amazement as one by one, Ryuji manhandled and tossed them off the roof. After clearing the area, he turned to the pair and said, "I'm going to go on ahead and look for more survivors."

"Wait, Ryuji-sen…" Before Rei could finish, he was already gone.

Ryuji raced down the steps and within minutes he was back on the third floor of the school. Surprisingly, none of "them" were around the area. "Finally got away from those two. I'm sure after much more of that display, they would've figured out who I really am. I seriously don't want to deal with that right now."

"Wahhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Ryuji was startled by the sound.

"The hell is it now? Crying? I swear it better not be one of those female zombies that knock you down with one hit when you startle her."

He searched for the source, walking through the hallway until he came upon the girl's restroom.

"The noise is coming from inside here."

He opened the door to find none of them had made it inside which was probably due to the fact that the door was pretty sturdy. On top of that, one had to pull the door to open it rather than push it.

"Wahhh! Wahhh!"

The crying was coming from one of the stalls. "Is someone in here?" Ryuji asked.

"Wha-? Who's there? Are you… one of them?" A girl's voice responded. She was clearly freaked out.

"If I was one of them, I wouldn't be talking now would I?" Ryuji responded.

The door to the stall was opened and a girl almost half his size appeared before him. She wore the typical girl's uniform consisting of a white blouse with a green skirt. She was nervous and clearly freaked out as she did everything to avoid eye contact. "My name is… Chihiro Mihoshi. I'm a first year student. Um… Arisawa-senpai…?"

Ryuji was confused. "Yeah, that's me. Have we met before? Usually people call me demon knight and run for the hills when they recognize me."

"Well…" She was about to respond when.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

An earth-shattering scream echoed throughout the halls of Fujimi High.

"Let's go!" He exclaimed as he grabbed the first year before she could respond and ran towards the source of the screaming. When he arrived at the scene, he saw six other survivors. Takashi and Rei whom he just met; Shizuka Marikawa, a school nurse whom he became acquainted with at beginning of his third year, she had long blonde hair extending down to her waist and hazel eyes, but her most prominent features were her ridiculous curves and her tall buxom physique pronounced by her humongous chest; Saeko Busujima, a fellow classmate with dark violet hair, bright blue eyes, and was quite tall in comparison to the rest of the students; and two other students he didn't know. Among them was a pink-haired twin-tailed girl who was sitting on the ground and a pudgy boy wearing glasses that was checking to see if she was ok. Apparently, they just took down a group of "them" and one of the students was in complete shock over what happened. "Looks like you guys had fun without me."

"Fun? You think this is fun? This is fun for you!?" The pink-haired girl turned her head and glared at Ryuji. "People are eating each other, the whole city is in complete chaos and you say you're having fun!? Just who the fuck do you think you are Demon Knight!?" The pink-haired girl yelled.

Ryuji was stunned at how quickly she figured out his identity. "How did you…?"

The pink-haired girl became angrier by the minute. "Did you think I wouldn't know who you were!? Don't treat me like I'm fucking stupid! I'm a genius! Those chains around your left arm are a dead giveaway!"

"Sorry…"

She stood up and walked towards the third year. "Sorry…? All you have to say for yourself is sorry?! I don't want your fucking half-assed apology!" She screamed as she slapped him across the face.

Saeko walked up to the pink-haired girl and placed her hand on her shoulder. "All right, that's enough." She said.

The pink-haired girl broke down and cried into Saeko's chest.

"You know…" Ryuji sighed.

Everyone looked up to him giving them his attention. Ryuji looked at the pink-haired girl who was still in tears. One thing he hated more than anything was making a girl cry.

Ryuji was serious. "It's not like I wanted to be known as the infamous demon knight. It just sort of happened. I'm sure you know the rumor, about how I beat up a gang of thugs at the beginning of first year here. Well, it's true. I kicked their asses just because they pissed me off. However, what I didn't know was that they all were third year students at Fujimi High so the news spread fast around the school. It didn't help that these chains I wore around my left arm since I was seven years old made me stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone around the school including the school faculty was afraid of me so no one got close to me…"

Shizuka-sensei was genuinely concerned for the 3rd year as he talked about himself. "Ryuji-kun…"

Ryuji was uncomfortable. This was the first time he had ever talked about his problems with someone other than his sister before. "After school was even worse, every day it was one fight after another. Gangs challenged me because they wanted the fame for defeating the legendary demon knight, but every day it was the same result. I would kick their asses and get on with my life. It ended up becoming a vicious cycle, beat up one gang two more take their place. It only made my social life at school even worse as I never made a single friend throughout my entire high school career. The only person who I ever talked to was my older sister, Reo who graduated last year. I never really learned how to converse with other students besides my sis so I tend to say insensitive things without considering the situation I'm in or the consequences of what my words reap. So, I'll say it again. I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry."

"It's my fault." A voice said.

The group looked around for the source of the mysterious voice.

"I'm sorry Ryuji-senpai. It's all my fault." A crying girl almost half Ryuji's size appeared from behind him and started clinging to his arm.

Ryuji was surprised no one noticed her presence until now. "Chihiro? Were you hiding behind me the entire time?" He leaned in closer and noticed she was in tears. "Why are you crying?"

"Senpai, those thugs were harassing a young middle school girl weren't they?"

"Yeah… that's true" He reluctantly admitted. "…but how do you know this? I never told anyone that part of the story."

"It's because I was that girl. When you fought off those thugs, it was the most incredible thing I've seen. You saved me and not only that, but you carried me home when I passed out to make sure I was safe. I really wanted to meet you again so I could thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my life. However, I didn't know saving me caused you so much trouble. You suffered so much because of me. I'm sorry senpai." Chihiro explained as more tears fell from her eyes.

Ryuji knelt down and hugged her. "Look Chihiro, at the time I was just doing what I wanted. Even if I knew fighting those thugs was going to cause me to end up without any friends, I still would've protected you."

Rei smiled at the touching scene. "Awww… how sweet…"

"Well what do you know, looks like the big bad demon knight is nothing, but a big softy." Takashi joked.

Ryuji sighed. "I can't believe it. My reputation as demon knight that I built up for three years; torn to shreds in a matter of seconds by a first year high school girl."

More tears streamed down Chihiro's face, but this time they were tears of happiness. "You know, this is the second time you saved me. Since they came and invaded the school I ran up here and holed myself in the restroom hoping you'd find me. And now here you are my knight and shining armor."

Ryuji pulled away from the first year and wiped away her tears. "All right… I get it. You're happy to see me, but please Chihiro do me a favor and stop crying. I think enough tears have been shed for one day."

"Ok senpai."

He turned his attention back to the group. "We should find somewhere to rest. I think we could all use a break after all the crap that happened today." With that the group went to the teacher's office. Finally, able to rest without worry for a while, the group got to know one another.

Second year, Saya Takagi washes her face while the rest of the group contemplates their situation. Kohta Hirano, another second year student goes to check on her. "Takagi-san, are you okay?" he asked trying to get her attention. The pink-haired girl lifts her head to look at him after drying her face with a towel. "Glasses…" He shouted in a state of shock.

She threw the towel at him. "Got a problem? My contacts keep falling out!" Annoyed at his reaction, she walks back to the group.

Kohta stood there as the towel fell off him with a happy expression on his face. "Glasses…"

As the group makes plans to escape and check on the safety of their families, Ryuji has something else on his mind. _"Honestly, what am I going to do with her? I just can't leave this girl alone. She actually managed to cry herself to sleep."_ Ryuji said to himself. The 1st year student, Mihoshi Chihiro fell asleep on his lap as soon as they entered the office.

"Senpai…" Chihiro mumbled in her sleep.

"_What exactly is she dreaming about?"_ Ryuji wondered. He let out a sigh before softly smiling at the sleeping 1st year.

Saya tapped Ryuji's shoulder getting his attention. "Sorry about what happened back there. I didn't mean to lash out at you."

Ryuji looked up at her. "Glasses?" He asked in a state of confusion.

"What? You want to say something too!?" She shouted.

Ryuji stayed calm. "They look cute on you."

She blushed and became flustered at his statement. "Cute!? Are you mocking me!?"

Chihiro yawned and sleepily looked up at Ryuji. "Senpai…?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did we wake you up?" Saya asked in a nicer tone of voice.

Ryuji was a little irritated that she woke up the first year. "What do you mean 'we'?"

That comment really got Saya riled up as she was at a loss for words. "J-Just… shut up!"

"Well, excuse me Princess!"

"What did you just say!?"

"Now. Now. Takagi-san." Kohta intervened in attempt to calm her down.

"Who asked you fatass!?" She yelled as she walked away.

Once she calmed herself down, she noticed Rei was glued to the TV. "What's wrong?"

"What is this…?" Rei asked in a complete state of shock.

Ryuji picked up Chihiro and set her down as he stood up and gathered around the television screen with rest of the students. Saeko grabbed the remote and turned up the volume so everyone could hear. Takashi, who was last to arrive asked Rei what was wrong. Before she had a chance to the respond, the news was coming in loud and clear.

"Outbreaks are happening everywhere and our government has begun to take emergency defensive measures." A news woman said as she read the report. "However, we are unsure of the state of the SDF's defensive…"

"Outbreaks? What do they mean by outbreaks?" Takeshi asked panicking at which point Saeko changed the channel.

This time it was live coverage at scene where police officers and fire fighters were putting body bags on stretchers. "The number of deaths in the Saitama prefecture already exceeds 10,000. The prefectural governor has already declared a state of emergency-"

*Bang!* *Bang!*

"A gunshot! The police have opened fire! But what are they shooting at?" The camera turned to a pair of body bags on stretchers next to the ambulance. The bags rose, but were immediately gunned down by police. However, it wasn't long before they were surrounded. "No! Stay away! Help!" The camera then fell to the floor, the last piece of footage being shot before it was cut off the bleeding leg of one of them.

After a brief Please Stand By message, the news came back on the air. "There's been some sort of problem. F-From now on, we'll be broadcasting from the studio here. As you can tell, the situation outside has become grave. We advise you please stay in your home unless necessary. Once it's safer outside, we'll bring you information about the on-going situation." The anchorwoman calmly stated.

Takashi punched the desk in frustration. "That's all? Why aren't they saying more?" He asked.

"Because they're afraid of causing panic." Saya answered.

"Even now?" Rei asked.

"Because of what happened just now! Fear leads to chaos, chaos leads to anarchy. How would you expect the government to deal with the living dead in a time of anarchy?"

The news report continues showing that the outbreak isn't just limited to Japan. "This unusual phenomenon has spread throughout America and has yet to be brought under control. The government authorities have evacuated the White House and will relocate to a command center on-board an aircraft carrier. There are reports that this transfer is in preparation for the possible use of tactical warheads. We have currently lost contact with Moscow. Beijing has been set ablaze. London has maintained order, but in Paris and Rome there are reports of looting. Government officials have declared…" The signal has been cut off.

"So they're all over the world…" Takashi said.

"But how… When I was surfing the web this morning, it was business as usual…" Kohta chimed in.

"I can't believe it only took a few hours for the world to come to this." Rei said in complete shock as she backed up and grasped Takashi's sleeve. "Don't you feel the same? But there must be some place safe, right? And soon, things will be back to normal." She said trying desperately to hold on to hope.

Saya glared at her. "Keep dreaming."

Takashi defended Rei. "Do you really have to say it like that?"

"How else should I have said it!?"

"Live and Learn! Hanging on the edge of tomorrow…"

Everybody stopped talking and looked at Ryuji as he pulled his cellphone. The name that was on the caller ID as he flipped it open read, Reo. _"It's Sis, wondered when she was going to give me a call." _He said to himself before answering. "Yeah, it's me Sis. Took you long enough to call."

"Sorry about that Ryu, I was busy taking care of some things." His sister said apologizing.

"Speaking of that; can you explain to me why you, mom, and the old man just vanished without a trace about a week ago?" Ryuji asked.

"What are you talking about? You were there when dad told us at dinner that night. Remember? Dad said he could sense something big was coming and we needed to prepare for what's to come?" She explained trying to jog his memory.

Ryuji was legitimately shocked for the first time today. "You're telling me that he knew the whole world was going to shit!? I thought it was just another one of his cryptic lessons."

"Ahem! Do you mind explaining to the rest of the class?" Saya chimed in.

"Are there other survivors with you Ryu?"

"Yeah, hang on Sis. I'm going to put you on speaker." He pressed a button on his cell. "All set. Go ahead Sis."

"As all of you can probably guess, I'm Ryu's older sister. The name's Arisawa Reo, nice to meet you all. As all of you already know, outbreaks have been happening worldwide. In other words… a pandemic." Reo stated.

"Pandemic?" Shizuka-sensei said with a confused look on her face.

"It's when an epidemic of an infectious disease spreads. So the same disease that's infected people here is spreading throughout the world." Saya explained.

"Wow, that's exactly right. I'm impressed. Sounds like you got a sharp one down there Ryu." Reo said complimenting her.

"Don't remind me." Ryuji grumbled.

"However, this isn't an ordinary pandemic." She continued. "Unlike the previous diseases of the past that would die out by us simply outlasting it; in this case, the dead are moving around and attacking people making the disease spread at an alarmingly fast rate. To put it bluntly, this pandemic has the potential to make the human race go extinct."

Everyone stood in silence as they let Reo's words sink in. It was the end of the world as they knew it and the beginning of a terrifying nightmare. Only Ryuji seemed completely unfazed by the news.

Chihiro tugged at Ryuji's shirt. "Senpai…"

Ryuji turned his attention to the 1st year. She was on the verge of tears again and a complete look of despair had washed over her. "Don't worry Chihiro, I'm here." Ryuji said as he knelt down and softly pat her head.

"That's not it senpai… It's my little sister… With everything that's happened I completely forgot… I pick her up from the nearby elementary school every day after school, but with those things out there… What am I going to do? S-She needs me…" She trailed off as she started to cry again.

Ryuji patted her head. "What if I help you save her?"

Chihiro wiped away her tears and looked into Ryuji's eyes. "You would do that for me senpai?" She asked.

"I can't just leave you alone. The only thing you seem to be good at is crying. I'll protect you and I'll save your sister, that's a promise."

"You haven't changed one bit little brother. You've always been a sucker for crying girls." Reo taunted.

Ryuji's eyebrow twitched at the comment. "I assume you didn't call me just to tell me the world was ending. Or did you want to have some fun at my expense?"

"Actually I called to tell you I'm almost at your school. I'm only here to drop off a care package for you."

"Care package? Wait a minute are you airborne?!" Saya asked.

"Should be arriving right about… now!" Reo exclaimed.

*CRASH!*

The group was startled by the loud crash they heard, some more than others. "Kyah!" Saya screamed as she inadvertently jumped on Kohta. He was in a state of complete euphoria, but the moment soon passed as the pink-haired girl shoved him aside just as fast.

"By the way that elementary school you mentioned hasn't been taken over by them yet, but it's only a matter of time. If you're going to do something, you better do it now." Reo warned.

"Thanks for the heads up." Ryuji responded.

"One more thing, if you let something as small as the end of the world kill you, I swear I will kick your ass. Later."

"Right back at ya… Sis." The signal was cut off and he put away his phone. He turned his attention towards the group. "It seems we're at a crossroads."

"Are you planning on going off on your own? Just what do you think you can accomplish by yourself?! These aren't the punks you're used to fighting, they're the living dead!" Saya exclaimed.

Ryuji shrugged. "Thugs, the undead. Meh. Same crap, different day."

"What was that!?"

"Besides, I made a promise and I can't afford to waste any more time here."

"Wait a minute Senpai… Ever since we first met, you've been way too calm about this whole situation never showing even the slightest bit of fear. Then something struck me as odd when we were fighting on the rooftop. Those things possess almost super human strength. Yet, you were literally overpowering them to the point where you picked them up and one after another tossed them off the roof with ease. Just what are you anyway?" Takashi boldly asked.

Ryuji sighed. "Now you see why people call me the Demon Knight. Tell you what, the next time we meet I'll tell you all about it. For now though… Let's Survive!"

Everyone readied themselves for battle. Ryuji took Chihiro's hand and opened the door. He bulldozed through them making a beeline for the roof. Meanwhile the rest of the group stuck together and slowly made their way to the mini buses. Each group had their share of challenges and difficulties, but they overcame them and made it to their prospective destinations.

The roof itself was still clear of them from the last time he was up there. Ryuji and Chihiro had made it to the care package Reo left for him. He opened it to reveal a weapon he knows all too well, a single-edged zanbato and a sword belt. He picked up the blade with his right hand and after swinging it around for a short time, he was overcome with a wave of nostalgia.

"Senpai, there is a note attached here." Chihiro said handing him the note.

Ryuji put the sword down beside him and read the note.

The note reads as follows:

**Is that zanbato familiar to you? It should be. It's only the sword you've been training with for the past eight years. It's been re-forged and upgraded using the most advanced technology to date. Think of it as an early birthday gift.**

** With Love,**

** Sis**

Ryuji let the note get carried off with the wind. He then proceeded to put on the sword belt, wearing it over his right shoulder and picked up his weapon. The pair looked on as they see the group they were with made it to a mini bus and escaped unscathed.

"It's time we made our own escape. Let's go save your sister."

**AN: The idea for this first spawned when I noticed that in almost all the media concerning zombie survival, humans were always depicted as weak helpless. I wondered why there never was one about zombie killing bad asses. I wanted the premise that the Blood series had. Except apply that premise to a zombie survival setup. The only reason I chose HOTD was because it's the only zombie survival anime I know of. Then I chose DFO because I find myself constantly playing that game to begin with that most of my ideas spawn from that. The story is based off my OC Ryuji Arisawa who awakens to his powers as a Beserker / Hell Bringer during the zombie apocalypse.  
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	2. Chapter 2

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Fujimi High School was surrounded by "them". Takashi's group had escaped unharmed aboard a mini bus with a few other survivors in tow. Shizuka-sensei was focused on driving while the rest of the survivors relax.

"You think Senpai and Chihiro-chan will be ok?" Rei asked as she stared out the window.

"This is the infamous Demon Knight we're talking about!" Kohta shouted as if the answer to her question was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are you stupid or something? How would that help in a situation like this?" Saya countered.

"I can't really speak to the rumors about him, but I do know this much. When I first saw Ryuji in class at the beginning of the school year, I always had this feeling that he was different from the rest of the students somehow. He just had this strange aura about him." Saeko stated.

"Now that you mention it, his attitude towards this whole situation was way too laid back. He didn't seem fazed let alone freaked out in the slightest. And what the hell was up with his sister!? It sounded like she was having the time of her life! Then there was that care package that conveniently crashed on top of the school roof. Just what was so important that he thought he could escape single-handedly while protecting a 1st year girl who's only talent seemed to be crying?" Saya added.

"Maybe it was a legendary weapon that only the Demon Knight can wield?" Kohta suggested.

"I swear if you say one more stupid… The way you describe him, you make him sound like he isn't even human!" Saya yelled.

"That may not be far off. After seeing what he did on the roof, there's no way a normal human could've accomplished what he did. There's also the matter of those chains…" Takashi interrupted.

"I was curious about that myself. Senpai said he was wearing them since he was 7 years old, but they looked pretty heavy to me. I wonder why he wears them." Rei added.

"The more we speculate, the more questions we have about him. I suggest we save them for when we see him next time." Saeko stated.

"Next time?" Takashi questioned.

"Just a feeling." Saeko answered.

Meanwhile, back at Fujimi High School…

*CRASH!*

Ryuji had just jumped off the roof holding his zanbato in his right hand and punching the ground with his left with Chihiro clinging to his back for dear life. The shockwave from his landing attracted the hoard of the undead to him.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

As Ryuji stood up, he noticed a strange light emanating from his weapon. _"My sword is… glowing? Is this what Sis meant by upgraded using the most advanced technology?"_

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

There wasn't any time to think about it, he had to move. "Chihiro no matter what happens, don't let go."

She closed her eyes and tightened her grip around him.

Without giving it a second thought, Ryuji charged the approaching hoard. Since they were so slow, Ryuji was able to easily run and evade them till halfway through. Without missing a beat he raised his zanbato and virtually cut his first undead victim in half. As the undead corpse fell to the ground, he raised his blade and swung horizontally decapitating three more of "them" in the process. One swift motion after another he skillfully felled three to four of "them" at a time inching his way forward as he went till he finally broke through leaving the hoard behind. He easily hopped the fence that enclosed the school and they made their escape. Ryuji looked at his weapon as the glow slowly dimmed. _"So that's how it is. It glows in the presence of "them". Furthermore it seems the closer the undead are, the more intense the glow. Well, that's useful."_ He thought to himself as he kept on running. "You can open your eyes now. We're not on school grounds anymore."

When Chihiro opened her eyes, she was stunned at how fast Ryuji was running. At this rate they would make it to her sister's elementary school in no time. The name of the school is Touhou Elementary and it's only a couple of miles away from Fujimi High. A few minutes later the elementary school came within sight, but as it did his blade started to glow again.

"Senpai? Y-your sword? It's…"

Ryuji kept on running. "I know. Apparently it detects their presence by glowing."

"Then that means… My sister…"

"Don't worry. She's safe… I'm sure of it."

Touhou Elementary School was fenced off from all sides with entrances at the front and the back. The pair made it over the fence and silently on to school grounds. Once over, Ryuji let Chihiro off his back and sheathed his blade. They then slowly crept their way towards the school and peered around the corner of the building to find a whole group of "them" trying to break the front doors down. The noise they were making kept attracting more and more of "them" without end.

"Sis wasn't kidding when she said it was only a matter of time, but this is a good sign. If they're still pounding away at the door, then it means they haven't made it inside yet. Let's try the back." Ryuji whispered.

Chihiro nodded in agreement as she clung to his arm trembling.

The pair slowly made their way to the back of the school, careful not to make any noise. When they arrived, the area was clear.

Ryuji scanned the area. "It looks like none of them have made it back here yet."

The pair made their way to the back entrance, but as expected the doors were locked. "I guess I shouldn't have expected any different considering the situation, but how will we get in without attracting their attention?" He asked trying to come up with a solution.

"Senpai. That window…" Chihiro said pointing at an open window.

The pair walked towards the open window and made their way inside. Ryuji closed the window behind him. "Well that was careless. They lock all the doors, but they forget to close all the windows? Kind of defeats the purpose."

They found themselves in an empty classroom.

"_We finally made it here. I'm scared, but I have to find my sister. I need to know that she's safe."_ These were the thoughts that were racing through the 1st year's mind. "Let's look around Senpai." Chihiro stated as she left the 3rd year's side for the first time.

Ryuji followed her lead. _"It looks like she finally calmed down. It's reassuring that she can stand on her own two feet when she needs to."_

Upon having a look around it became apparent that the entire first floor of the building had been vacated. Both the front and back doors were not only locked, they were also barricaded off with desks and other school equipment. The sounds could be heard echoing throughout the hallway as the undead relentlessly attacked the front entrance.

Chihiro was frightened by the noises, but she quickly pulled herself together. "On to the next floor!" She shouted as she took Ryuji's hand and pulled him to the nearest staircase doing her best to put on a brave face. They walked up the stairs and before either of them knew it, they were on the second floor.

Chihiro was desperate to find her sister. _"I want to see her. I want to see her right now, but I don't see anyone here either? Is she in one of these rooms? I'm not sure, but I only know of one way to find out."_

"How would you like to go about it this time? Shall we go around and search every room again?" Ryuji asked.

Instead of answering, she simply walked forward a few steps and took a deep breath. "RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~CHAAAAAAAAAAN!" Chihiro shouted at the top of her lungs.

Almost immediately she got an answer to her cry. One of the doors opened and a small girl that resembled Chihiro appeared. "CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~ONEE~CHAAAAAAAAAAN!" The small girl shouted in reply.

Upon finishing their unique sisterly call, the two girls stared at each other trying to verify whether the other was really right in front of them. "This… is real… right? I'm not dreaming or anything… right?" Chihiro mumbled as tears streamed down her face.

"Chi~Onee~chan!" The younger sister called out as she sprinted and jumped onto Chihiro who welcomed her with open arms. The siblings collapsed to their knees as they embraced each other.

Upon feeling her sister's warmth against hers, the young 1st year knew that this was indeed reality. "My sister… My precious little sister… I'm so happy you're safe…" She barely managed to say before fully breaking down.

"Onee~chan… Onee~chan…" The younger sister replied as she cried with her.

"_Yup. They're definitely related."_ Ryuji thought to himself as he watched them.

Noise could be heard coming from Rise's class room. "Class, please calm down." A female teacher emerged from the doorway. "Mihoshi Rise, you shouldn't leave the class room like that. It's danger…" Rise's teacher started to say until she saw a familiar face and a complete stranger. "Who are you?" She asked.

"What is all the commotion about? We are under lock down people!" A mature blond woman exclaimed as she walked onto the scene.

"Gakuen-cho, these people just showed up." Rise's teacher explained.

"You better have a good explanation for this." The principal stated in a threatening tone pointing at Ryuji.

Meanwhile, back at the front entrance to the school… *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* A lot more of "them" have gathered on the school grounds. Their relentless assault was starting to make an impact as the doors were starting to give way. The banging echoed all throughout the building putting everyone on edge.

By this time, the sisters had finished embracing each other and now were holding hands.

"I have to stay with the class. Chihiro-chan, when you're finished could you escort your sister back to class?" Rise's teacher asked.

"I will Sensei." Chihiro replied with a smile.

The teacher bowed before returning to the class room.

Ryuji and company followed the principal to her office where he explained everything to her from what happened at Fujimi High to how they ended up here at Touhou Elementary.

"I see. I'm sorry about what happened to your high school. That must've been tough, but still you can imagine my surprise. Two high school students show up out of the blue and one of them is a male no less." The principal stated.

Ryuji was perplexed. "Male? What does my gender have to do with it?"

"Um Senpai… I didn't mention it before, but this is a girl's only school. Even the entire faculty here is female." Chihiro answered.

"Well, talk about dropping a bomb on someone." Ryuji grumbled.

Rise tugged on her sister's shirt to get her attention. "Onee~chan… I have to go to the bathroom."

"Eh? Um… okay." Chihiro responded. "Please excuse us." She politely said with a bow before escorting her younger sister to the restroom.

"Anyway, I explained our situation to you. It's time you did the same." Ryuji stated.

The principal was even more serious than before as she started to explain the situation. "Very well, that is only fair after all. It was only by luck that we were able to survive. It was during lunch time, so most of the faculty was gathered in the teacher's lounge. I just happened to turn the news on; if it wasn't for that we probably would've been overrun already. I couldn't believe it at first, but no matter what channel I flipped to; all the television stations were talking about the outbreaks. I tried calling 119 to find out more, but the line was busy which could only mean that this was a serious situation. That's when I made my decision, in order to protect the students and secure the school I ordered a lockdown. It was a close call though; just as we put the lockdown into motion those things started to come. The whole school was in a panic as we scrambled to get everyone inside the building, thankfully no one was hurt. By the time they broke through the front gates, we had already barricaded the doors and evacuated everyone to the second floor. From there we just holed ourselves up in the classrooms trying to wait those things out. The rest you already know."

Ryuji bowed to her. "Thank you."

"Eh? What for?"

"If it wasn't for your quick thinking, I wouldn't have been able to keep my promise to my kouhai."

"Look here boy. I don't need to be thanked for doing my job…," She stated. "…but you're welcome." Her lips curled into a small smile. There was a moment of silence, but that was when the principal noticed something was odd. "The banging stopped. Did those things finally give up?"

"I know from experience that it's not that easy. Once they hear a sound, they hone in on it like a moth to a flame." Ryuji replied. His attention turned to his zanbato. He partially drew it from his sword pack to get a better look. The blade's constant glow was now intensifying confirming his suspicions as he put it back.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

An earth-shattering scream echoed throughout the halls of Touhou Elementary.

Instantly reacting, Ryuji sprinted into the hallway to find one of them had wandered onto the second floor. The undead corpse was standing over the Mihoshi sisters who were on their knees clinging to each other in terror. Its mouth was gaping wide open as it prepared to bite. Chihiro did her best to protect Rise as she used her body as a shield, getting between her and their attacker. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for what was to come. Time was slowing down as the scene unfolded right before Ryuji's eyes. _"What the hell are you doing just sitting there!? Run idiot!"_ He yelled in his mind as he bolted towards them.

*Crunch!*

Chihiro cringed as she heard the undead corpse clamp its jaws down sinking its teeth into her raw flesh… or so she thought. _"Why am I not feeling any pain? I was sure it bit me. So why…?"_ The 1st year wondered. She opened her eyes and slowly turned around only for her mind to go completely blank. She opened her mouth, but no words were coming out. Tears were flowing down her cheeks like waterfalls as she struggled to speak. "Sen…pai…" Chihiro whimpered.

"You really are a crybaby y'know." Ryuji responded.

She looked on in a state of horror. "But… your arm…"

Ryuji was standing over her. The monster that was about to bite her was now gnawing on the left arm of her beloved Senpai. "Now that it's come to this…" He started to say as he tore the undead corpse off his arm and tossed it across the hallway. The 3rd year looked at his arm, the bandages that he wore around his left arm were now soaked with his blood. "I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore." He said, finishing his statement as he removed the wrappings from his bound arm.

Chihiro took a closer look at Ryuji's arm and her fears had now just turn into disbelief. _"Senpai's arm… It's a darker color than the rest of his body. Not only that, it doesn't look like the arm of a human. It's more… like that of a demon."_

"Now you know why I wear these chains." Ryuji stated as if he were reading her thoughts. "Scared? It's ok if you are."

"It's not that I'm scared of you. I kind of had an idea, after seeing what Senpai is capable of. This is just the confirmation, but more importantly your arm! That thing bit you!" Chihiro shouted.

"I wouldn't worry about that. Look…" He reassured her, pointing at the undead corpse. "Even though I didn't smash its head, it isn't moving anymore. My immune system is stronger than the average human so I've always had immunity to things like diseases, infections, poisons, etc. I don't think this virus is any exception. Now that I think about it, it probably bit off more than it could chew." Ryuji explained as if this were just another normal conversation.

"Takashi-senpai was right! You really are too calm in a situation like this! Don't you have any sense of urgency Ryuji-senpai!? Besides even if what you say is true, you were still bit! What do you plan on doing about the wound!?" Chihiro yelled.

"Oh, don't worry about it. See…" He said as he showed her his arm which was healing at a rapid rate right before her eyes. "One of the perks of being the infamous Demon Knight of Fujimi High is my ability to instantly regenerate from any wound or injury! HAHAHAHAHA… "

"How cruel!? I was worried about you and yet you… Shame on you Senpai!" Chihiro pouted.

"_She's angry? Sis usually laughs at my jokes though."_ Ryuji sighed before patting her on the head. "Sorry… I really do say insensitive things huh? At least you managed to stop crying. Forgive me?"

She simply blushed and nodded, accepting his apology.

"Onee-chan…" Rise whimpered into her sister's chest still in shock. The Mihoshi sisters were still stuck in the same position from when they were attacked; in each other's embrace.

"It's alright Ri-chan. We're safe now. Ryuji-senpai saved us." Chihiro reassured her.

"Are you all right?" Rise's teacher asked from the doorway of her class room.

"Yes sensei. All of us are fine." Chihiro answered.

"Thank goodness. Well, what are you waiting for? I told you to escort your sister back to the classroom when you were done didn't I? How am I supposed to lock and barricade the door with you two still out there?"

"Yes, I'm sorry." She apologized. "Come on Ri-chan." Chihiro said to her sister as they got up and walked towards the classroom. She turned around and saw Ryuji wasn't following her. "Aren't you coming with us Senpai?"

"I made a promise to you, remember? I may not have any tact when it comes to holding a conversation, but if it's fighting. Well, I've been refining that skill since the day I was born."

"But…" She started to say till they were interrupted.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

"They're coming. Focus on what you can do Chihiro and I'm sure you already know what that is." Ryuji stated.

The 1st year looked at her sister and reluctantly accepted what he said. "I understand. Be careful, Senpai." She replied as she ran to the teacher's classroom. When she made it in, the teacher locked the door and they quickly barricaded themselves in with the rest of Rise's class.

"_And I'll focus on what I can do."_ The 3rd year said to himself; clearing his mind of all distractions.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Ryuji could see them coming up the stairs.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

They were coming from behind as well, he was surrounded. _"Trying to catch me off guard, huh? Like I didn't see this coming…"_ He stared them down. "Looks like ya'll going to a party."

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

The undead hoard closed in on him.

Ryuji drew his zanbato, which was now shining as bright as a mini sun in their presence. "So ya'll wanna party? Time to Rock N' Roll!" Ryuji exclaimed as a sadistic grin formed across his face.

**AN: Finally managed to write up chapter 2, just before my Spring Semester starts too. I originally intended to make this longer, but I decided to cut this chapter short. Mainly because of Ryuji's last lines which were taken from the opening cinematic of DFO if you choose to play the Slayer character. Basically, it's the beginning of your adventure as a Dungeon Fighter. As a crossover fanfic I wanted be as loyal to the HOTD canon as I possibly could, while at the same time going so far into the DFO direction that it almost feels like Dungeon Fighter. The only difference being the HOTD universe is now your overworld and the monsters you fight are the undead. I hope to achieve that once I write chapters 3 + 4. **


	3. Chapter 3

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Touhou Elementary school had been breached "them". The teachers and students had barricaded themselves inside the classrooms using whatever they had available to block the door. The class that the Mihoshi sisters resided in wasn't an exception. Everyone was scared; friends tried to console each other by holding hands and keeping close to one another. Chihiro was sitting next to the teacher, holding her sister in an almost motherly fashion. Rise had calmed down a bit from their previous encounter with one of them, but it was far from over as more were swarming the second floor. The reality of the situation was, only a door separated them from the walking dead.

"_Focus on what you can do..." _

It was a simple statement, but those few words had a profound effect on Chihiro. _"When this whole mess started I just sat there and cried, but you were there to protect me… just like that last time. Even now, while I sit here safe and sound; you're out there fighting to protect us. I want to help you, but I know I'll just be in your way. That's why I'm going to stop feeling sorry for myself and stop worrying about what's out of my control. It's like you said, right? I need to focus on what I can do. The only thing I'm capable of doing at this moment; is to act like the older sister that I am and keep Rise safe. So please… No matter what happens… Stay alive, Senpai."_

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

*Slash!*

Ryuji's zanbato had connected with the walking corpse's head. The blade ripped through its flesh and bone splitting him in half. Fifteen minutes had passed since he engaged them, but the hoard showed no signs of thinning out. As soon as he would cut one of the undead down, several more would take its place. _"There's no end to these things."_ He sliced through several more corpses and all the while he felt his body starting to burn up.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

"What the hell are you guys moaning about?" Ryuji asked in a sarcastic tone.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

"_To think, that I was asleep a couple of hours ago only to wake up to this shit…"_

*Slash!* *Slash!* *Slash!*

Wave after wave of the decaying flesh eaters kept shuffling towards him. Constantly fighting for an extended period of time would take a toll on a normal person, but the opposite effect seemed to be happening to Ryuji. The more he fought, the faster and stronger his attacks became. He was starting to enjoy himself despite the situation he was in. _"Is it hot in here or is just me? My body feels like it's on fire. Was it from that bite? No… This is different. This feels… familiar…"_

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Several of "them" were slowly creeping up behind him. Ryuji turned around and swung his sword in the shape of a cross, slashing the enemies within range. A cross of blood formed from his attack which traveled a short distance, cutting down everything in its path before disappearing into nothingness. The swarm of corpses that crowded the halls behind him lay before him in a bloody mess. The gory scene of blood and guts stretched for almost the entire length of the hallway. Ryuji's zanbato was glowing with a bright red hue and his body was emitting a crimson red aura. _"Is this… my power?"_

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

Before he could get an answer, the other half of the hoard had already come upon him. Almost on instinct Ryuji grabbed the first of them that came within range, gripping its head with his demon arm. The undead monster's skull was being crushed as it struggled under demon knight's superhuman grip. Focusing his power, he emitted a shockwave from his demon arm sending the lot of "them" flying down the stairs. He stood there for a moment in disbelief at what he was able to do. His crimson red aura disappeared and the strange red glow from his sword returned to normal. He felt his body start to cool down as when he calmed himself. _"Why does this feel so familiar? Was I always able to do this?"_ He was confused by the change his body was undergoing. It certainly wasn't something he's ever experienced before, but at the same time it felt nostalgic. _"Why…?"_

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

The undead were slowly recovering from his attack. _"There'll be plenty of time to figure this out later. Right now…" _Ryuji tightened his grip on his blade. _"…I have a job to finish"_ He jumped down the stairs cutting them down as he trailed a path to the first floor.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

The radiant glow from his blade was bright enough to illuminate the darkened hallway so he could clearly see. The situation was worse than he imagined, the hallways were teeming with the undead. _"Just how many of them are here anyway?" _Having no sense of sight or touch, these monsters relied upon their sense of hearing. This was how they hunted, this was how they fed. Some of "them" kept walking into walls while others bumped into each other. _"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It is the end of the world after all."_ It was then that he noticed, some of "them" walking up one of the stairwells. Knowing the ramifications of letting even one make it back to the second floor, he acted.

*Thud!*

He had punched the wall making a very sizable dent in it with his demon arm. All of "them" stopped moving and turned their heads towards the noise. "I don't appreciate being ignored. If you want feed on something, then try me." Ryuji stated in a dead serious tone.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

The hoard shuffled towards the lone demon knight with gaping mouths. He felt his body start to burn again in anticipation of the fight that was about come. "It's time for Round 2!"

*Slash!* *Slash!* *Slash!*

He cut through the decaying bodies ripping through their flesh, guts, and bone with each attack. The few walking corpses he felled made little more than a dent in the oncoming hoard's number. His body temperature steadily rose beyond human limits as he fought the never ending battle. How many more times would he have to swing his blade? The undead spanned the entire length of the hallway and more kept coming. There may have been more of "them" here than at Fujimi High. _"No matter what happens, I'll keep my promise to you."_ This thought was first and foremost in his mind as he fought. However, even with his strength, Ryuji was just one man against what seemed like the rest of the world.

He felt one something grab his leg. He looked down to see a grotesque hand attached to the decaying upper body of a corpse he had cut in half. They could only be killed by striking them in the head. He tried to shake it off, but in that moment another undead body latched on to him. "Dammit…" Ryuji grumbled. He felt another hand grab his shoulder. He looked back up to see the hoard was already upon him. Manhandling one or two of them at a time was one thing, but trying to overpower an entire army proved to be futile even with superhuman strength. The lone demon knight was slowly forced to the ground as he was buried under a mass of corpses. The stench of death that permeated the hallways was enough to make him almost pass out. He struggled with all his might to push the dog pile off him to no avail.

*Crunch!* *Crunch!* *Crunch!*

Several of them started to feed sinking their teeth into his flesh. However, despite the situation he was in, he wasn't afraid. No, a different feeling was welling up inside him. His body temperature was rapidly rose at an accelerated rate. _"There's that feeling again. I feel like I'm being roasted in an oven right now. What is this?"_ Ryuji wondered completely tuning out the mass of corpses on top of him. The change his body went through back on the second floor was starting to take effect again. "I understand now… This feeling… it's…" The searing pain that shot throughout his body as they fed on him only served to speed up the process. "This is my RAGE!" An intense crimson red aura emanated from his body. "Get off me!" A pillar of crimson energy exploded from his body tearing all who were within its range to shreds. The wounds he sustained regenerated as he stood back up. The glow of his sword changed to a red hue and his eyes glowed red with rage.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

The undead were unfazed by the imposing figure standing before them as they continued to shuffle towards the lone demon knight. He focused his power as the crimson aura emanating from his body became more intense. He swung his blade diagonally to the left, then diagonally to the right forming a giant cross of blood spanning the width of the hallway. Finally, he raised his zanbato above his head and vertically slashed the giant cross in front of him propelling it forward. The attack cut up everything in its path like the blades of a blender as it painted the hallways red with blood and guts.

*CRASH!*

His attack traveled the length of the hallway and exploded out the front of the school taking out the remaining undead left outside the building. The gore cross kept going as it traveled across the street, whizzing pass the parked cars before finally slamming into another building and completely demolishing it.

"Take… that…" Ryuji gasped in between breaths as his body returned to its normal state. The glow from his sword had faded. He had slain the last of "them" in vicinity. However, that last attack took more out of him than he'd care to admit. He was so exhausted, the moment he took his first step his legs had buckled underneath his own weight. _"Why… am I so tired? This isn't the time to be resting…"_ He tried to use his sword to recover his balance, but it was no use. He had lost all feeling in his body and before he knew it, he was already lying on the blood-soaked ground. One moment, he had the strength to fight an army of the undead and the next moment, he doesn't even have the strength to stand on his own two feet. _"What's happening to me…?"_ What used to be the front door was now a giant hole in the front of the school. The beautiful picturesque pink sky illuminated by the setting sun shone beautifully over the city despite the horrible state of things. He gazed outside at the setting of the yellow orange sphere in the sky as his eyes grew heavier and heavier. _"Dammit…"_ Ryuji grumbled as he slowly lost consciousness.

**AN: Alright here's chapter 3. It's a little short, but I sort of wrote myself into a wall at the end. So instead of making you wait any longer, I decided to post it so you have something to read till then. I know what I want to write, it's just a matter of how I should write it that I'm drawing a blank on. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the DFO action I've showed you thus far. There will be more in the upcoming chapters. That's a promise.**


	4. Chapter 4

*CRASH!*

Ryuji's supercharged gore cross had cleared the rest of "them" in the immediate area. However, that last attack had left him in a vulnerable state as he was now passed out on the blood-soaked ground.

Meanwhile a SDF helicopter was on its way towards Touhou Elementary.

"I'm sorry, but that's as close as I can take her. If I get any closer, I risk compromising our position." The SDF helicopter pilot explained.

The helicopter was about twenty feet above the school.

"This is fine. I can make my own way from here." A very young looking woman responded before she jumped out of the helicopter. She made multiple flips through air like a seasoned acrobat as her speed accelerated. Just before she hit the ground, a pentacle of light appeared beneath her slowing her descent. As a result of this, she didn't make as much as a whisper when her feet finally touched the ground.

The helicopter remained stationary to make sure that the woman had indeed made it to the grounds of the school safely before returning to base.

The woman observed the remnants of the fight that happened only a few moments ago. The front of the school was littered with dismembered corpses; there was a giant gaping hole in the school where the front doors used to be; and to top it all off a building down the road was nothing more than a pile of rubble.

"That idiot…" The strangely dressed woman muttered.

Ryuji lied unconscious on the blood soaked ground of what once was a normal elementary private school for girls. Now it has become something out of a gory horror movie.

The woman made her way towards his unconscious body, her footsteps echoed throughout the hallway as she walked past the macabre of body parts. She knelt down and turned his body over so that he was lying on his back. She placed her index and middle fingers on his neck and lightly pressed down. "His pulse is weak, but it's there."

She pulled out a vial of red liquid from her jacket. "This should do the trick." She brought the vial to his lips and poured the liquid down his throat.

*Cough!* *Cough!*

Ryuji started coughing as he struggled to swallow the strange medicine. He slowly opened his eyes, his vision slowly coming back into focus. "Pink…?"

Upon waking up Ryuji saw a woman standing over him. The first thing he noticed about her was that she had pink hair which was done in twin tails and that she wore glasses. "Princess…?"

At first he thought it was Saya standing before him, but that was impossible. He kept looking at her and noticed something strange about the Saya lookalike. "Cat Ears…?"

Upon noticing this feature, the mystery surrounding this woman's identity was solved. He recognized who she was. Ryuji cleared his throat before speaking. "Kokonoe-sensei…?"

Kokonoe looked almost exactly like Saya with her twin-tailed pink hair style and glasses, but there were three defining features which set these two apart. First; Kokonoe always wore lab coat, second; she had cat ears and twin cat tails which also happened to be pink, and third; she was half Saya's size.

Her steely cold gaze pierced Ryuji to his very core. "It's about time you woke up."

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he attempted to stand. However, he felt dizzy which made him lose his balance. Luckily he was able to catch himself before he hit the ground.

"You can thank your sister for that. She was worried, so she sent me to assist you." Kokonoe answered.

Ryuji was kneeling on the ground unable to move. His head was spinning and he was still exhausted from his fight with the undead.

She observed the sorry state he was in without the slightest hint of emotion. "If you're wondering why you're so exhausted, it's because you almost died from hypovolemia."

He looked at her with a confused look on his face. "Hypo… what?"

She crossed her arms and sighed. "In other words you almost died from severe blood loss."

"Blood loss? I don't understand. How's that possible?" He asked.

"There is one way…" She took a deep breath. "You're demon powers had manifested despite those chains suppressing your demon blood didn't they?"

He nodded in response. There was no way in hell he was going to fool Kokonoe-sensei. After all she was his personal doctor for over ten years.

"I thought so. It was only matter of time considering the situation." Kokonoe paced up and down getting lost in her own train of thought. "That would explain everything including why you were passed out on the ground, but there's one thing that's bothering me. For those chains to suddenly lose their effectiveness, some kind of catalyst is needed." She suddenly stopped walking. "Be honest Ryuji… did they bite you?"

Ryuji was finally able to stand up after recovering some of his energy back. "Yeah, they did." He walked over to his zanbato which was lying next to him and picked it up. "However, it seems like this new virus didn't have an effect on me either." He swung it once knocking some of the excess blood off before sheathing it.

"You're wrong. I wouldn't know for sure exactly how the virus affected you without testing your blood first, but one thing is for sure." She turned around and pointed dramatically at him. "You awakened into a Beserker!" She claimed with an enthusiastic grin.

Even after her explanation, he was still confused. "What does that have to do with how I lost so much blood?"

"You still don't get it? I would've thought at least that much would be obvious to you." Kokonoe adjusted her glasses as she continued to explain. "Did you notice the color of your attacks?"

"The color…?" Flashbacks of when he used his newfound power against "them" played in his mind. "Red…? Don't tell me…"

"Do you get it now? Those flashy red-colored attacks you kept recklessly using were being powered by your own life force. Use too many too fast and not even your instant regeneration is going to save you." She stated.

That's when it dawned on him that he really did almost kill himself. "So why did you come here Sensei? It couldn't just be because Sis asked you too?"

The lab coat wearing half-pint Saya Takagi lookalike crossed her arms and sighed. "You know… I have better things that I could be doing than saving your sorry ass." She turned around and started walking towards the stairs. "You should count yourself lucky that your older sister is leading this entire operation because if it were up to me… I would've left you to rot."

Ryuji couldn't decide what was worse, the end of the world or Kokonoe herself. A sweat drop formed on his forehead. "Maybe I was better off lying unconscious."

"Would you get your ass in gear already or did you not get enough rest sleeping among the dead!?" She yelled.

He quickly heeded her warning following behind as they walked up the stairs.

"Seeing as how the first floor is vacant, I assume the entire student body and school faculty are on the second floor correct?" She didn't wait for a confirmation as she continued her train of thought. "I need to talk with the school principal and get more info before we proceed any further."

The pair silently walked up the stairs to the second floor.

The second floor was just as bad as the first. Corpses littered the floor and blood splatters painted the entire hallway.

"So they made it here as well huh? If you weren't here this school would've succumb by now. I guess I should say good work." Kokonoe stated.

Ryuji couldn't believe what he just heard. "Sensei…? Did you actually praise me just now?"

She ignored his statement and continued with her own. "However, you really made quite a mess of this place." She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out what looked like three black marbles.

"What are you doing?" He asked with a confused look on his face.

"Just shut up and watch… I need to concentrate in order for this to work." She replied.

He did as ordered. No need to foolishly get on her bad side.

She tossed the marbles on the ground and they burst on impact. In their place, three floating orbs of what appeared to be pure darkness appeared.

As Ryuji stared at the objects wondering what they were, he failed to notice Kokonoe reaching for something else on her person. By the time he looked back at her, she had already pulled out what looked like a rod from a magical girl anime. However, the rod seemed somewhat familiar as it bore a resemblance to his sword.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before focusing her energy into her weapon. Her rod started to glow a brilliant blue color as she opened her eyes and waved it over the orbs of darkness. As soon as she completed the motion, the glow emanating from her rod died down. She breathed a sigh of relief indicating whatever it was she did had worked.

Ryuji was more confused than ever. "Um…"

"Just give it a second." Kokonoe stated.

The dark orbs descended to the ground and started to change shape. They melted into the ground creating a black puddle. Then, what appeared to be orange eyes and a mouth emerged from each puddle, forming faces. The newly formed faces lifted from the puddle sprouting upright like a plant. The dark plantlike creatures were supported by a stem which extended from their puddle-like base. If that wasn't strange enough, a small padlock on a chain was wrapped around each of them. The creatures approached the pair sliding their bodies along the ground.

"Clean up this mess." She commanded.

The three summoned creatures did as ordered sliding to the nearest decayed body parts and slowly absorbing them into their puddle-like forms.

"And when you're done with this floor, you guys can go clean up the rest of the place." She added.

"What are these things?" He asked.

She put away her rod and adjusted her glasses. "Shadow Elementals or more specifically Spirit Summon: Stalkers."

Even the pools of blood that painted the hallway disappeared one by one as the Stalkers slid their bodies over them cleansing the school of the undead.

Ryuji was in awe by the Stalkers efficiency that he didn't notice one of them was inching its way towards him until it latched onto his leg. "What the hell? I thought they were cleaning up."

"They are cleaning up." She responded.

"Then why is it latching onto me?" He questioned further.

"If you haven't noticed, you're covered in blood. There would be no point to this if I didn't clean you up as well." She sighed.

"But…!"

"Ryuji… you're not planning on disobeying me are you?" She threatened.

"No…" He stayed still and let the shadow elemental do its job.

"Don't worry it won't eat you… probably." She reassured.

He was still skeptical about the procedure. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "I mean even if my stalker does eat you, you'll just heal right back."

"Just because I can heal doesn't mean it won't hurt!" He exclaimed.

Kokonoe was fed up with his protests and glared at him. "Oh cry me a river bitch!"

Amidst their argument, the stalker had already done its job cleansing Ryuji of all the blood that was on him including his zanbato. It jumped off him and resumed its original task.

"See? It didn't eat you. Now stop acting like a big baby and let's go." She started walking down the hallway letting her spirits finish the rest.

"I get it now. The reason you're going so far to clean the place is to protect their innocence. That's uncharacteristically kind of you Sensei." He smirked.

Kokonoe ignored the comment and kept on walking towards the principal's office. She placed her hand on the knob. The knob glowed for few seconds before she opened the door, walked in, and closed it behind her.

"That was definitely a yes. At any rate, I guess I should check on Chihiro. She must be worried." Ryuji walked towards the classroom she was in and knocked on the door. "It's me. They're gone. I cleared the place of "them.""

He heard the sound of desks and chairs moving before the door opened slightly. The teacher peeked through the door to see who it was.

"It's safe for now." He assured her.

She opened the door fully letting him inside before locking it again.

"Senpai…?" A familiar voice asked.

Ryuji turned to see Chihiro sitting up against the wall. She was holding her little sister who seemed to have fallen asleep in her arms.

He walked towards her and leaned up against the wall beside her. "Yeah, it's me Chihiro. You seem to be holding up well considering the circumstances."

She looked back at her sister who was sound asleep in her lap. "I had to keep it together… for her sake."

"I see… you're actually pretty strong." He complimented.

She blushed and immediately denied it. "That's not true at all. I wasn't able to do anything. I only sat here while you fought to protect us."

"Yeah, well… I did promise you I would." He stated.

"You're right." She returned his gaze and smiled. "Senpai… thank you."

For the first time today, the Demon Knight of Fujimi High blushed. "You're welcome."

An awkward silence fell on the pair.

"So Chihiro-chan… when are you going to introduce me to your cute boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend…!? It isn't like that all Sensei!" The young first year stammered.

"The way you two were I couldn't help, but tease you a little. I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Reimi Saionji." The teacher stated.

"It's nice to meet you Saionji-sensei." Ryuji replied.

"She used to be my teacher when I went to this school." Chihiro added.

"So that's why you two were so familiar with each other before." He stated.

Amidst their conversation, Ryuji felt a tug on his shirt.

He looked down to see two 5th grade students. One of them was tugging on his shirt. "Is it true mister?"

"True…?" The 3rd year asked.

"That you beat up all the monsters?" The other student specified.

"Now kids. It's rude to interrupt while the adults are talking." The teacher scolded.

"Yes Sensei."

"I wouldn't call myself an adult though, but you should listen to your sensei. She'll keep you safe." He reassured.

"Hai…!" The two students answered in unison as they walked back towards the others.

"By the way Senpai, I heard yelling outside. Is someone else here with you?" Chihiro asked.

"Yeah…" Ryuji paused for a moment before continuing. "A friend of mine came to assist us."

Just then an announcement came on the PA. "Attention all students and faculty, due to the extreme circumstances that has befallen our school we will have to ask you to remain here overnight. I know that all of you are scared and that you want to see your parents, but right now it is way too dangerous. Don't worry though; help will be on the way. Tomorrow we will be evacuating the school and all of you will be reunited with your families again. Until then please bare it little while longer." The principal stated.

"I want to see my mommy."

"You heard the Gakuen-cho. We can't leave yet."

"I know, but I'm scared."

"Don't worry we will be right here with you."

It was a similar situation in the other classes as well. Rather than panic, thanks to the principal's very calm and well thought out announcement the students banded together and helped one another through the crisis.

Just then another voice came over the loudspeaker. "Ryuji…! How long do you plan on keeping me waiting!?"

"Senpai…? Is that the friend you were talking about?" Chihiro asked.

A sweat drop formed on Ryuji's forehead. "Unfortunately, yes. I'll come back later."

"Take your time. We're fine here." She assured him.

Ryuji left the classroom closing the door behind him and headed towards the principal's office. When he opened the door and entered he saw Kokonoe standing with her arms crossed having a serious conversation with the principal who was sitting at her desk.

"About time you showed up. What were you doing? Spending quality time with your girlfriend?" Kokonoe asked.

"She's not my girlfriend! Wait a minute… how did you know I was traveling with a girl?" Ryuji asked with confused look.

"You think I'd come over here to save you without getting every single detail from your sister about what you've been doing for the past 24 hours?" She questioned further.

He placed his palm on his forehead. "Of course Sis would tell you everything."

"Anyway, we were just discussing how to safely evacuate the school." She stated.

"And…?" He asked looking for her to continue her explanation.

"And… nothing, I already finished explaining it to her." She turned her attention back to the principal. "Anyway, do you need me to clear anything up for you?"

"Yes, I do have one question on my mind." The principal smiled. "Why are you here? I must say I didn't expect to be graced by the presence of a world renowned scientist and researcher such as yourself."

Kokonoe pointed to Ryuji. "You can blame this idiot over here for not minding his own business."

"Well excuse me Princess." He sighed.

As soon as he said those words he realized his grievous error. Kokonoe and Saya look so similar to one another that for a brief moment he let his guard down. It was ok for him to say this kind of thing to Saya because the only thing she did was yell at him. However, Kokonoe on the other hand…

A dark aura formed around Kokonoe. "Ryuji…?" She glared back at him. "Do you want to die?"

He immediately bowed and apologized. "I'm sorry."

She continued her glaring at him till she was satisfied, her dark aura disappearing as soon as it came. "If there's nothing else then I'll take my leave. I need to get started on the preparations." She walked out of the office.

"That was close… I nearly killed myself twice today." He internally sighed.

"Ryuji was it?" The Principal asked getting his attention. "I need to properly thank you for what you did. Your actions today saved us. On behalf of the school, I thank you for all you've done."

"No thanks needed. It just turned out that saving the school coincided with keeping my promise to my kouhai. That's all there was to it. If you don't need anything else I'll take my leave as well."

She simply nodded in response.

He left the office closing the door behind him only to find Kokonoe was waiting. "If you're done we have work to do." She walked towards the stairs before stopping. "Ryuji…the next time you get the bright idea to call me princess. I'll make sure you live to regret it." She resumed walking down to the first floor.

"Why me…?" Ryuji sighed.

**AN: Chapter 4 is complete. For first time ever I didn't start a chapter off with "uhhhhhhhhhhhh…" or use "uhhhhhhhhhhhh…" anywhere in this chapter. Instead we start off with the sound effect *CRASH!* **

**I finally introduced a DFO character in this chapter. Specifically the mage class has been revealed, subclass Summoner. Her character is based off of Kokonoe from the Blazblue series. Anyway, the whole point of this chapter was to introduce her character to the story. **

**I had a difficult time trying to come up with how I wanted to progress the story. It seems the deeper I go into the story, the harder it becomes to write which brings me to what's in store for the future. Chapter 5 will feature a lot more DFO action, but at the same time it's probably going to be the most difficult chapter I ever write and as such I'm not sure how long it will take me to complete. The only thing set in stone plot wise is the destination. It is more a matter of how I go about getting the characters to that destination which will be the trick. On that note, there's only one thing left to say. It will be done when it's done.**


	5. Chapter 5

The rising sun signified the start of a brand new day. Its rays were unobstructed as there was nary a cloud in sight. It would've been a gorgeous day to go outside, but…

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

It's been over 24 hours since the world had been overrun by "them." There were two choices. Escape to a safe zone or join their ranks as one of the undead. However, was there any place in this new world truly safe?

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

The situation was the same at Fujimi High School. Once it was a place of learning, but now it was teeming with the undead until today. From the sky, a figure was rapidly descending on the roof of the post-apocalyptic high school.

"Scud Genocide!"

*Blam!* *Blam!* *Blam!* *Blam!* *Blam!* *Blam!* *Blam!*

In a matter of seconds, an area that was once infested with re-animated corpses had now become a bullet hell. In the center of the carnage, a tall slender young man with long spiky white hair had landed. He wore a black shirt, a pair of black jeans, and a long red coat which reached down to his ankles along with a pair of boots and a cowboy hat to complete the unusual outfit. In his hands were two silver revolvers which had been recently used. He lifted his head just enough to see the smirk under his hat.

"It's show time!"

12 hours earlier, one particular elementary school had been spared of that fate. The sun was setting giving the sky this pinkish orange hue which reflected beautifully off the town.

The one responsible for this miracle was a high school senior from Fujimi who was obediently following a short pink-haired cat woman dressed in a lab coat down stairs to the first floor as they discussed what to do next.

"Um… Sensei…?" Ryuji, the student in question was understandably a little nervous. "Where do we go from here? The school is safe for now so…"

Kokonoe, the strangely dressed woman he was following simply sighed. Upon reaching the first floor she came to a complete stop and turned around to face the third year. "If I didn't come here, what would you have done?"

Ryuji pondered the question for a while in an attempt to come up with an answer, but it was futile. The sole reason he came here was to keep his promise to his kouhai, beyond that he was drawing a blank. Only the sound of the Spirit Summon: Stalkers moving across the floor filled the hallway as they cleaned up what was left of "them".

"I take your silence to mean that you came here without a plan?" Kokonoe reasoned.

Ryuji reluctantly nodded in response.

"Well it's not like I expected any better from you." She turned her back to the third year before continuing to walk. "Go check the cafeteria for food."

"Alright, I'm on it." Ryuji walked through the hallway past the shadow elementals until he came to the entrance of the cafeteria. It was standard for what it was, a very spacious room with large tables paired with accompanying chairs which spanned the length of it with a kitchen area behind the counter at the back of the room. He approached the kitchen area and hopped over the counter. _"If this is anything like Fujimi's cafeteria, the food should be stored in the back somewhere."_ He noted the top of line kitchen appliances which included stoves, ovens, and even a couple of high powered rice cooker before noticing a room in the back. Upon entering it, he saw multiple refrigerators positioned next to one another on one side as well as shelves stacked with seasoning and other items on the other.

Meanwhile, Kokonoe was preparing for the next phase of her plan. She was standing where the front door used to be when she took out her cellphone and made a call.

*Ring.* *Ring.*

"_Yo Sensei. What have you been up to?"_

"_What have I been up to? You should know exactly what I've been up to!? You're the one who sent me here in the first place!"_ Kokonoe yelled.

"_Sorry… Sorry… so how is Ryu doing?"_

She paced up and down as she continued her conversation. _"He's still alive if that's what you're asking, but…"_

"_But…?"_

Before answering, she leaned herself against the wall for support. _"He's awakened…"_

"_Well, it was only a matter of time."_

"_Yeah…" _Kokonoe sighed. _"Anyway, I need transportation. Thanks to him, we have one extra school to evacuate."_

"_A backup team will arrive at your position first thing in the morning."_

"_Understood."_

"_Well, I have to get back to work. Talk to you later."_

After her phone call, she took notice of her shadow elementals which had just finished making the school spotless erasing every trace that any of "them" had been there. With their task complete, they awaited new orders from their master.

"Sensei, there's plenty of food left." Ryuji announced as he approached her.

"Good, now find a way to prepare dinner for the whole school." Kokonoe ordered.

"What…?"

"The cafeteria staff left after lunch which happened to be just before the outbreak. It's almost dinner time and we have a whole lot of mouths to feed." She explained.

"Even if you say that, I have no idea how to cook." He reasoned.

"Then ask your girlfriend to help you." She countered.

"She's not my…" Rather than argue any further, Ryuji decided it was better to drop it. It wasn't like he was going to win the argument or convince her otherwise anyway. "Fine, I get it." He then proceeded to head up the stairs.

Kokonoe turned her attention back to her minions. _"I can't leave the area unguarded especially considering the giant hole here."_

She took out her rod and focused her mana into it. The Spirit Summon: Stalkers began to change in form becoming much larger. The shadow elementals had big hulking dark upper-bodies and wielded scythes that were as dark as night. Their lower bodies were covered by a black mist swirling around them like a twister. They had two cord-like appendages connected from the top of their head to their backs with light blue symbols adorning their bodies. "Spirit Summon: Dead Murker." With the spell complete she had three 7ft. tall Shadow Elementals at her beck and call. "Guard the area."

The Shadow Elementals did as commanded and went outside to stand watch over the front gate. If any more of "them" showed up, they wouldn't be able to get through this trio. With the school secured, there wasn't much else for her to do. She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small red lollipop which she unwrapped and popped it into her mouth. _"I guess I should check the news and see if they're any updates. I'll need as much information as possible to make this evacuation work tomorrow."_ With that thought in mind, she headed toward the principal's office.

Meanwhile, Ryuji was taking Kokonoe's suggestion and had gone back into the classroom. The fifth grade students were talking amongst themselves. The students were gathered around the teacher in a semi-circle as she was telling them stories to pass the time. He spotted Chihiro playing with her little sister and approached them. "Do you know how to cook?"

"Cook…?" Chihiro seemed confused by why the third year was asking her such a question, but answered it all the same. "I cook for Ri-chan and myself all the time."

"Onee-chan's food is the best." Rise chimed in.

Ryuji placed his hands on Chihiro's shoulders and looked intensely into her eyes. "I need you."

The young first year blushed. "Senpai, this is so sudden…"

"I don't know how to cook." He stated.

"What…?"

Ryuji explained the situation to her about how he needed to somehow come up with food for the children to eat for dinner.

"So that's what you meant." Chihiro breathed a sigh of disappointment.

"You're the only one I can count on." The third year begged.

"_Senpai is relying on me…?_" She resolved herself and with a look of determination she made a decision. "I'll do it."

Ryuji felt relieved that his kouhai agreed to help him out, but before he could thank her she was already pulling him out of the classroom.

Reimi noticed the trio leave as the door closed behind them and smiled. _"Do your best, Chihiro-chan."_

"Sensei, tell us what happened next?"

The rest of the class stared at her expectantly.

"Sorry about that class. Well…"

"Even though this is a small school, preparing dinner for everyone would be impossible without some help. Oh, and don't worry about not having any cooking experience. I'll guide you every step of the way." Chihiro stated.

"When onee-chan gets like this, nothing can stop her!" Rise exclaimed following them into the hallway.

Her passion was so intense it looked as if she was on fire.

The third year was pleasantly surprised by this turn of events and decided to go with the flow. "I'm in your hands Chihiro."

The young first year confidently pumped her fist in the air. "I won't let you down Senpai." She was so into it she didn't realize she was holding his hand.

As Ryuji was being dragged along, he noted all of Chihiro's features as he followed right behind her. Her raven black hair reflected the evening sun's rays as it peeked through the windows of the school giving her a faint angelic glow which illuminated her body. He couldn't help, but be blown away. His heart skipped a beat as he continued studying her small frame. _"There's no way my kouhai can be this cute? Can she?"_

Meanwhile, as per the principal's suggestion Kokonoe went to the teacher's lounge so she could check the local news when she felt a familiar energy. She walked out into the hallway, but no one was in sight. Just as she was about to search for the source, it faded away. _"What was that feeling just now? It felt like a mage was gathering her mana from the surrounding area, but that would be impossible."_

Kokonoe sucked on her lollipop some more before retreating back into the room in time to catch the live feed. "We are live from Shintoko 3rd Elementary where what can only be described as the undead are only moments away from the school." The reporter seemed to be standing by the front entrance to the school as the camera panned 180 degrees. A mass horde of walking corpses was closing in on their position. Just then a blonde woman dressed in strange attire jumped into the frame.

"Hey, what are you doing? You're inside the shot."

The blonde glared back at them.

The reporter seemed a bit shaken. "What…?"

Another strangely dressed woman appeared. She was a brunette with a single ponytail. "Now, now, play nice. Freedom of the press and all that…"

"Who are you people?" The reporter asked.

The blonde started walking towards "them" armed with two revolvers.

"Hey, just wait a minute." The brunette called out to her.

"Twin…"

"And she's not listening…" The brunette stood in front of the camera. "Sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm going to have to cut this broadcast short." She placed her hand on the lens.

"Gunblade…"

That was the last word that was heard before the broadcast cut out.

Kokonoe crunched down on her lollipop as she could barely contain her anger. _"That's your idea of work huh? At least she had the foresight to stop the broadcast before things really got out of hand, but still…"_

The trio arrived at the cafeteria. "Chi~onee-chan, what are you making for dinner?"

"I'm glad you asked Ri-chan, I've decided to make curry rice. It's easy to cook and you can make a lot of it in a short of amount of time." Chihiro responded as she walked into the kitchen area.

"I checked before and the kitchen is fully stocked with everything we could possibly need." Ryuji stated.

"Perfect!" The first year had already put on an apron and a bandana cap and started assembling the ingredients.

"She's really into this…"

"That's my big sister." Rise happily proclaimed as she seated herself at one of the nearby cafeteria tables.

Ryuji walked up to the kitchen area and grabbed an apron of his own. "So where do we start?"

The pair assembled all of the ingredients they'd need which included onions, potatoes, and carrots. "I need help peeling and dicing all of these vegetables." Chihiro grabbed a knife, a potato, and demonstrated how to cut and peel a potato. "Do you need me to show you again Senpai?"

"No, I got it." Ryuji, with knife in hand copied exactly what his kouhai did. "Like this right?"

"Yeah, just like that. I'm going to pick up the pace now. We don't exactly have all night you know." The young first year repeated the task, peeling and dicing each potato cleanly and efficiently.

Ryuji couldn't believe how fast she was plowing through each vegetable. It only proved to him that there was much more to her than meets the eye. He decided to resume the task at hand. After all he couldn't leave everything to her.

Chihiro on the other hand had a big smile strewn across her face. Just being beside him let alone being able to cook together was like a dream come true.

This fact didn't escape her younger sister who was quietly watching them until she felt her stomach grumble. "Onee-chan, I'm hungry."

"Just bear with it a while longer, we're getting dinner ready as fast as possible." Chihiro responded as she continued what she was doing. Eventually, they finished all of the prep work and were ready to actually cook. The rest of the process consisted of Ryuji getting whatever ingredients Chihiro needed while she was over the stove cooking it. Just under an hour later and the curry, enough for the entire school was complete.

Ryuji stood beside her and decided to speak up first. "Thanks, I couldn't have done this without you."

Chihiro shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I was just glad I could help you."

An awkward silence hanged in the air between them until…

"Onee-chan…" Rise mumbled.

There was a bunch of leftover rice in the fridge so it was just a matter of heating it up in the microwave and serving it up on a plate. "Here you go Ri-chan." Chihiro set the plate of food and an eating utensil in front of her.

"Yay! I can finally eat Chi~Onee~chan's cooking!" The younger sister exclaimed excitedly before digging in. "So good!" With that first bite, she managed to get pieces of rice stuck to her face.

"Ri-chan, you have food stuck to your face." The older sister took a napkin and wiped her face. "Now mind your manners."

"Ok." Rise continued to quietly eat.

"I found water bottles in the back." Ryuji said as he handed one to Chihiro.

"Thanks Senpai." The first year took a sip of water and sat down. She looked at the cold water bottle in her hands and realized just how refreshing it can be especially after the day she's had.

He placed another one on the table. "Here, this one is yours Rise."

"Thank you Onii-chan." Rise smiled.

"Onii-chan…?" The third year repeated.

"Since, you're Onee-chan's senpai that makes you my Onii-chan." She explained.

"I don't think it works that way." He responded.

"I don't see any harm in it." Chihiro chimed in. "Ri-chan has clearly taken a liking to you… and honestly… so have I…"

"Chihiro…"

*Ahem!*

Everyone turned their attention to the cafeteria exit where the silhouette of a cat girl was standing. "I hate to interrupt you're little slice of life routine, but I assume you finished what I asked you to do?" The figure stepped into the light and was revealed to be Kokonoe.

Ryuji stood at attention. "Yes sensei, it's ready."

"Good, that's the best news I heard all day." She sighed.

"Who is this cat lady?" Rise asked pointing to her.

"Ri-chan, that's rude." Chihiro gave an apologetic bow. "I'm sorry about that."

"Children will be children." Kokonoe's expression lightened. "Don't worry about it. My name is Kokonoe by the way. I'm Ryuji's doctor, but at the moment I'm acting as his babysitter."

Ryuji internally sighed.

"I'm Chihiro Mihoshi and this is my younger sister Rise. It's nice to meet you sensei." She greeted.

"You can drop the formalities. Just call me by my name." Kokonoe responded.

Chihiro thought to herself for a moment before answering. "How about Kokonoe-san…?"

"That works for me." The pink-haired cat girl analyzed Chihiro for a moment then nodded to herself as if to confirm something. _"So she was the source of that magical energy I felt earlier. It's faint, but this girl is subconsciously gathering mana into her body."_

Another awkward silence passed when Kokonoe suddenly stopped talking which made both Ryuji and Chihiro nervous. The only sound that could be heard was Rise's eating.

Kokonoe turned around and started to leave. "I'll let the principal know that it's safe to allow the children to have their dinner in the cafeteria."

When she left, Ryuji breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kokonoe-san seems to be a really interesting person Senpai." Chihiro stated.

"I guess that's one way of putting it." Ryuji responded.

Just then an announcement played over the PA. "Attention all students and faculty, seeing as the immediate threat to our school has been dealt with I am loosening the lockdown. Hot meals have been prepared for everyone this evening, so report to the cafeteria in orderly and calm fashion." The principal stated.

Chihiro stood up and walked back to the kitchen. "Come on Senpai. The students aren't going to feed themselves."

Ryuji smiled and followed right behind her.

The students of Touhou Elementary were spared of the harsh reality that befell the world. They didn't have to worry about when they would have their next meal or having a safe place to sleep because they were able to retain those things unlike so many unfortunate others. Later that evening, the sun had gone down and all of children had returned to their classrooms. Many of them had fallen asleep exhausted from the day's events.

Ryuji was sitting down leaning against the wall of the second floor hallway with his zanbato right next to him. The lone demon knight stared at the steel of his blade and reflected on the day's events. What most stuck out in his mind was the declaration Kokonoe made to him. _"You've awakened into a Berserker."_ He adjusted his sword so he could see his own reflection. "A Beserker huh…?"

Chihiro was returning to her sister's classroom when she saw the third year. "Senpai…? What are you thinking about?"

He shifted his attention to his kouhai. "Everything I guess."

"I see… So even Senpai has his own worries…" She responded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

"Nothing…" She said with a playful smile. "Good night Senpai."

His expression lightened and he smiled back. "Good night Chihiro."

The first year entered her sister's classroom and closed the door behind her.

Ryuji shifted his attention back to his sword and continued to reflect.

"You're old sword was melted down and re-forged using a rare metal from Arad called Terranite. Then using Empyrean technology, it was infused with Nen Energy so it would glow in the presence of Hell Gate energy or in this case the virus that is causing this pandemic which I suspect is the same one that caused the Grand Devolution." Kokonoe explained.

Ryuji would've wondered how Kokonoe was able to sneak up on him if it wasn't for her sudden explanation which he couldn't make heads or tails of. "What…?"

"If you didn't understand a single word I said then just forget it. At this rate it would take all night trying to explain it to you." She stated before leaving.

"Wait…"

Kokonoe stopped just before the stairs. "Get some rest. I know you haven't fully recovered yet and I'll need you at your best tomorrow."

Ryuji reluctantly abided by his doctor's wishes and dropped the subject. "Fine…"

Satisfied with his response, Kokonoe left him alone.

Ryuji sighed as he was now left with more questions than answers. But with nothing more to be done for the night he decided to get some rest.

The next day…

Kokonoe was standing at the front gates of Touhou Elementary School. She had already dismissed her spirit summons which guarded the school all night and was now waiting for her backup.

Six buses seemingly from Fujimi High parked in front of the school gate. A tall slender young man with long spiky white hair wearing a red coat and a cowboy hat on top of his head approached her. "It's been a long time Kokonoe."

She stood her ground and crossed her arms. "It certainly has Tony Redgrave."

**AN: It's been over nine months since my last chapter of Demon of the Dead. I bet some of you thought I had given up on this story. Sorry about the long wait, I'll try not to take as long with the next update. Anyway, I'm starting to see where I want to go with this story and I already have an ending in mind for it so with any luck I'll complete it before the 2013 Fall Season. Don't hold me to that though.**


	6. Chapter 6

Early the next morning, the students of Touhou Elementary were preparing to evacuate.

"Yes… Of course I will… Senpai…"

In a certain second floor classroom, a young girl was mumbling in her sleep. She was sitting up with her back against the wall for support.

Ryuji kneeled on to one knee and put his hand on the first year's shoulder to gently nudge her. "Chihiro, it's time to wake up."

She slowly opened her eyes letting her vision come into focus. When she saw Ryuji, she smiled. "Good morning Senpai…"

"Good morning sleepyhead. What were you dreaming about?" He asked out of curiosity.

Chihiro thought for a moment before recalling her dream. _"Oh no, was I talking in my sleep again?" _She blushed and averted her gaze. "There are some things you shouldn't ask a girl."

"Really…?" He seemed genuinely surprised. "Like what?"

"Just things…"

By this time, Rise who was leaning on her sister's shoulder started to wake up as well. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her sister expectantly. "Good morning Onee-chan!"

"Ah, Ri-chan. Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Chihiro asked.

"Yes!" She answered enthusiastically.

"Well aren't you just a bundle of energy." Ryuji chimed in.

The younger sister turned her attention to the third year. In her eyes, he looked like a hero from a shounen manga especially with the zanbato he carried on his back. "Good morning Onii-chan!"

"Good morning to you as well Rise." He greeted before turning his attention back to the older sister. "We're going to be leaving soon."

"I see…"

No sooner than he told them, Reimi made the announcement to her class. "Ok class, it's time to go. Make sure to pack up all your personal belongings before leaving."

"Yes Sensei." The class replied in unison.

One by one all of the students exited the building in an orderly fashion as per their teacher's instructions with Reimi's class being the last to leave school.

"Is that everyone!?" A familiar pink-haired cat girl shouted.

Ryuji, Chihiro, Rise, and the rest of the class were now waiting at the front gate. There were a total of six buses parked on the side of the road with five of them already filled up. Reimi did a quick headcount and confirmed everyone was present and accounted for.

"If there's nothing else, then we should get going." Kokonoe stated before getting on the bus.

Every one of Reimi's students lined up single file and got on the bus. Ryuji and Chihiro were about to follow suit when they noticed Rise taking one last look at her school.

"Ri-chan…? What's the matter?" The older sister asked.

"Onee-chan…?" Rise pointed to the school. "Why is there a giant hole there?"

Chihiro looked at the school and stopped in her tracks. Not only was she shocked that there was a giant hole where the front doors used to be, but even more so that she didn't notice till her younger sister pointed it out. "Just when did that happen?"

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, about that…"

"What are you guys waiting for!? An invitation!?" Kokonoe yelled from the bus as she was clearly getting impatient.

Not wasting any more time, the trio promptly got on the bus. Rise entered first followed by Chihiro with Ryuji bringing up the rear. The sisters went towards a seat in the middle of the bus that wasn't occupied so they'd be able to sit together. The third year was about to do the same when…

"So you must be Ryuji."

He heard his name being called by an unfamiliar voice. He turned his attention to the source and saw a man with long silver hair wearing a red coat and a cowboy hat sitting in the driver's seat.

"I thought you'd be taller." The man stated.

"Do I know you?"

"No this is the first time we've met, but I heard all about you from your sister." He extended his hand. "My name is Tony Redgrave."

"Nice to meet you I guess…" Ryuji answered unsure of what to make of the situation.

Tony released his grasp and started up the bus. "You should take a seat, we're about to leave soon."

Taking his advice, Ryuji sat at an open seat near the back of the bus and placed his zanbato beside him. After making himself comfortable, he looked out the window of his seat and gazed at the morning blue sky which seemed like any other day except that it wasn't. Normally at this time he'd be attending his homeroom class, but with the end of the world none of it mattered anymore not that he cared either way. They called him the Demon Knight of Fujimi High and after yesterday, there was no doubt as to right they were.

One by one the buses pulled away from the school with his bus bringing up the rear. The class from what he could tell seemed to be in good spirits. With nothing else to do, he decided to doze off and get some more rest.

"Your sister is really pretty Rise-chan." One of the students remarked.

The girls were talking amongst themselves with the topic of discussion being Chihiro.

"I know right? She's my Onee-chan after all." Rise bragged.

"What's high school like?" Another student asked.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" The student seated next to her chimed in.

Chihiro wasn't used to being the center of attention and was having a hard time reacting to all of their questions.

"Onee-chan…?" Rise tugged on her sister's sleeve.

"What is it Ri-chan?"

Her face was beaming as she continued to speak. "Are you going out with Onii-chan?"

Chihiro's face went beet red. "I-It's not like that at all. Why would you think that?"

"In your sleep you were mumbling Onii-chan's name and…"

Chihiro covered her younger sister's mouth before she could say any more. "Geez Ri-chan, don't tell everyone that."

The students continued to gossip.

"So noisy…" Kokonoe mumbled.

"Kids will be kids." Reimi smiled.

Kokonoe smirked at the statement. "That's true enough."

*Screech!*

"Ow!" Ryuji's head suddenly went flying into the back of the seat in front of him. "Dammit…"

The bus had come to an abrupt stop.

"What's going on?" Chihiro asked.

A massive horde of "them" had come from one of the side streets and completely blocked off the main road.

Kokonoe was less than pleased with the situation as a "Tch!" escaped her lips. _"They must've been idly wandering the immediate area until the sound of our vehicles passing by attracted them."_

Her theory was of course proven accurate as the bus that was directly ahead of their own had barely escaped being surrounded by "them."

The children seemed confused, but started to catch on that something wasn't right.

Unsure of how to resolve the situation, Reimi started to panic.

"What do you want to do?" Tony asked.

"Turn around!" Kokonoe ordered.

"Understood…" The Desperado put the bus in full reverse and did a 180 turn before heading in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, the other five buses were safely out of the danger zone and from what they could tell it would be a while before they encountered another one of "them" or anyone else for that matter. The once bustling Tokonosu City was now as desolate as a ghost town. The only thing that was missing was a tumble weed being blown around by an ominous wind.

"Everyone report in!" Red One commanded.

"Red Two reporting in."

"Red Three here."

"Red Four is here as well."

"Red Five reporting. We made it somehow, but Gold Leader is still back there."

Tony is a huge fan of the original Star Wars movies. So for this mission, he decided that their code names would be after X-Wing Pilots with his designation being Gold Leader. Red One was a young lieutenant with straight shoulder length brown hair and striking brown eyes; she was driving the lead bus. With their commanding officer separated from the rest of the group, she was now the highest ranking officer on the mission. Red Two was driving the bus behind her, Red Three was in the middle, Red Four was behind her, and Red Five was bringing up the rear.

The principal who also was on the lead bus overheard the conversation because she was sitting up front. "Wait a minute. Are you saying one of our classes got separated us?"

"Unfortunately yes, but there's nothing we can do for them now. Going back would only put more of us in danger." She explained.

As much as the principal didn't want to admit it, she knew the lieutenant was right. She looked back at the students who were all in the first grade class and at that moment, she happened to make eye contact with one of them.

The young girl silently waved at her with a bright smile.

The principal responded with a smile and a wave of her own. The interaction only served to reinforce the lieutenant's point. "I know…" She had a solemn expression on her face as she slumped back in her seat. "I know, but…"

"We have a contingency plan put in place just in case we got separated. I can't give you any guarantees, but I'm sure they'll be fine." She said in an attempt to reassure her.

"Thank you…"

The lieutenant's expression lightened in response. "Try to get some rest. It'll be a while before we reach the evacuation site."

"I think I'll take you up on that." The principal shifted herself into a comfortable position before closing her eyes. With all the stress she's been under lately on top of the fact that she had to use an office chair and a table as a bed last night, she was exhausted.

As time marched on, morning soon became afternoon.

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

The dead still aimlessly roamed the streets.

*Vroom!*

Tony was driving the bus through town with Kokonoe giving him directions.

"Turn right!" She shouted.

The desperado did as ordered and made a right at the intersection. It was challenging trying to drive a bus through all this chaos because not only did he have to avoid the dead, but all of the abandoned cars scattered throughout the street as well.

"Just take this road up the hill and we'll be there shortly." Kokonoe directed.

"Understood…"

With the worst of it behind them, Kokonoe relaxed and slumped in her seat.

Reimi had also calmed down enough to where she was able to speak her mind again. "Kokonoe-san…? Where are we going?"

She took a moment to think about how best respond to the fifth grade teacher. "A rest stop… I guess…" The place in question started to come into view. "Look, you can see it from here."

Reimi looked in the direction Kokonoe was pointing and was completely shocked by what she saw. "Eh…!? That's a rest stop!?"

Needless to say, this wasn't a simple rest stop that they would be staying at. Over the horizon, towering over all the other neighborhood buildings was a mansion which appeared to be roughly the size of those medieval castles you find in fairy tales. The mansion had a taupe exterior coupled with a roof that was a richer shade of blue than the norm. However, the way the sun reflected off the structure made it appear as if it was surrounded by a golden aura.

Tony put his foot on the break and stopped at the iron gates that enclosed the estate. "We've arrived."

"Open the doors." Kokonoe commanded.

Tony complied with the order and the doors opened.

"Wait here a moment." Kokonoe exited the bus and approached the gate.

By now Ryuji had recovered from his sudden concussion and noticed they had stopped at which point he decided to make his way towards the front of the bus.

"Senpai…?" A familiar voice called out.

He stopped mid-way and approached the person in question. "Is something the matter Chihiro?"

The first year shook her head indicating it wasn't a big deal. "I was just wondering where we are."

"Beats me…" Ryuji rubbed his head before focusing his attention on his surroundings. The students had calmed down quite a bit from before to the point where some of them had dozed off including Rise. "It seems the little ones had tired themselves out."

"You have no idea…" Chihiro sighed.

As they continued to converse with each other, Tony and Reimi awaited Kokonoe's return.

The pink-haired cat girl was conversing with the guards at the gate. A few minutes later, the gates opened and she returned to the bus. "We're allowed in, but we have to leave the bus here."

Reimi turned her attention towards the class and raised her voice as she made an announcement. "It's time to get up. We've finally arrived at…"

"Takagi Estate." Kokonoe completed.

"That's right the Takagi Estate." The fifth grade teacher reiterated. "Eh…!? She stared at Kokonoe. "The Takagi Estate as in that Takagi Estate!?"

Most of the students awoke from Reimi's sudden outburst while the remaining few were awoken by their peers.

"Come on Ri-chan. It's time to get up." Chihiro stated.

"Onee-chan…" Rise yawned before leaning on her sister's shoulder.

"There's no mistaking it, you two are sisters alright. She's just as much of a sleepyhead as you are." Ryuji joked.

Chihiro glared at him.

"What? Another miss…?"

"You're jokes suck Senpai." She stated in her harshest tone possible. "Hmph!" She proceeded to cross her arms and close her eyes to emphasize the point.

Ryuji hung his head down in shame and appeared to be getting depressed. "Sorry…"

Chihiro then proceeded to break out into a fit of giggles. She did her best to stifle them, but failed miserably.

Ryuji lifted his head and observed his kouhai upon hearing her laugh. Not even the Demon Knight of Fujimi High was prepared for this development. His cheeks turned a faint red and his heartbeat started to accelerate. A very a warm feeling started to grow in his chest. He wasn't sure what this new feeling was, but he decided at the very least it wasn't a bad one. Upon coming to that conclusion, he decided the best way to react was to smile in return.

Later on that day when the sun finally set, a row of five buses had pulled into the evacuation site of Tokonosu City. After talking with her team, the lieutenant shut down the engine and woke up the principal who was sound asleep. "We reached our destination. I'm going to go tell them we've arrived."

"Ok, I'll watch the bus while you're gone." The principal stated.

Upon hearing her affirmative response, the lieutenant walked off the bus and the entered the premises.

The principal watched as the soldier entered the property which oddly enough, looked like a school. However with how dark the nighttime was, she couldn't tell which school it was.

No sooner had she entered, she was greeted by the commander of the entire Tokonosu City Operation who was a young woman no older than she was. Despite that, the lieutenant responded with an immediate salute.

The commander was a brunette with her hair done in a single ponytail that came down to her waist. She had reddish brown eyes and a slender figure with ample breasts. Her outfit was not your typical military uniform; it resembled more of a stylish workout outfit that was easy to move around in. She wore an orange sports top which covered the upper half of her body leaving her abdomen exposed with an oval patch in the center which exposed just enough cleavage to be tasteful, orange and brown leggings with an orange skirt combo, white finger less gloves with an orange trim, and a matching pair of boots.

The lieutenant wondered if any of these high ranking officers believed in a military uniform.

"At ease lieutenant, just give me your report." The commander stated.

"Yes…" She explained their current situation including how part of their group was separated from them during the evacuation and how in the event that happened, the plan for the group left behind was for them to seek refuge at the Takagi Estate.

"I see…" The commander started to walk away. "I guess I'll have to go down there myself."

"Wait a minute!" The lieutenant ran up to her superior and blocked her path. "Aren't you in charge here? If you leave, who's going to run the operation?"

"What's your name lieutenant?"

"My name…? It's Maiko Oohashi."

"Well Maiko Oohashi from this day forward, I give you command of this base. Congratulations on your promotion." The former commander stated before walking towards one of the SDF motorcycles and mounting it.

"Thank you very much for the opportunity!" Maiko respectfully bowed before realizing something very important. "Wait a minute! You can't do that and besides, I've only been a lieutenant for a couple of days now! How can I possibly command a whole base!?"

The brunette waved off her fears. "I'm sure you'll be fine. If you run into any trouble just rely on Blondie."

"And just who are you referring to when you say 'Blondie'?" A mysteriously dressed blonde woman asked.

"_Another one!? Isn't there any normal people I can talk to here?"_ Maiko wondered.

The woman in question was as her nickname suggested a blonde. Her hair was done up in a traditional bun with an antique oriental hair stick holding it in place. Her eyes were the color of a bright blue sky and she had a very tall slender figure. What made her stand out even more was the unique outfit she had on which had an east meets west style all its own. The top resembled that of a white kimono with a blue design pattern. It even had a sky blue obi tied in a nice ribbon-like bow on her back with the bottom being a brown western style mini-skirt and a pair white boots to complete look. The one thing that brought the entire look together was the golden trim pattern which was a constant on piece of the outfit.

"Ah, right on cue. Her name is Maiko and she will be your new commanding officer till further notice." The brunette stated.

The blonde looked at her newly appointed commander.

Maiko nervously waved back at her.

*Vroom!*

Before the blonde could react to this sudden development the brunette had seized her opportunity and took off.

"That woman…" The blonde sighed.

"_What am I going to do now?"_ Maiko wondered.

*Vroom!*

The brunette sped through the streets of the city in the dead of the night with one thought on her mind. _"I'm on my way… Ryu…"_

**AN: This chapter was a struggle to write as I had to somehow get the characters from point A to point B which was the most challenging part. Well mission accomplished. I know for the first few chapters, I had my OC's deviate away from the canon characters. The reason for that was I wanted this story to be different from the others I've read. I didn't want my OC's Ryuji in particular to be sewn at the hip to Takashi's group while at the same time I didn't want his group to rely on his power. However, now that that's out of the way, in the next chapter I'll re-introduce Takashi's group back into the story starting from the third day of the zombie apocalypse onward and from now on, I'm going to try my best to regularly update this story till it's complete. Highschool of the Dead belongs to Daisuke Sato and Shoji Sato. Dungeon Fighter Online belongs to Nexon. R.I.P. DFO NA**


	7. Chapter 7

Day three…

"_Where am I?"_ Chihiro was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall when she woke up in unfamiliar surroundings. The room she was in resembled that of a traditional Japanese inn with its tatami mat flooring and wooden sliding doors. Empty futons were scattered across the floor with signs they were used recently. Not thinking anything of it at the time, she closed her eyes and started to drift off back to sleep. _"Warm… Wait a minute… Warm…?"_ She opened her eyes to see what she was leaning on was none other than her senpai. "What!?"

Her outburst seemed to have awoken Ryuji as he unexpectedly opened his eyes. "Good morning Chihiro."

"Good morning Senpai…" Chihiro hesitantly responded and for good reason. The last thing she expected from this morning was to wake up right next to her senpai let alone use him for support.

Ryuji scanned his surroundings before turning his attention back to his kouhai. "It's just us here huh? We must've overslept. Those children kept us up all night too. I thought they would never fall asleep."

"Children…? That's right! Sensei and the others left us to take care of the class last night. We had to play with them till late in the night for them to finally go to bed." She explained upon recalling yesterday's events.

"Yeah, then you fell asleep right after them. You seemed to enjoy using my arm as a pillow." He stated.

"Eh!?" The young first year's cheeks turned beet red as her eyes widened in surprise. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head. "You seemed so tired that I didn't want to disturb you."

Chihiro couldn't help but feel like she's been getting into more and more embarrassing situations with him lately. Certain she was going to faint if she stared at him any longer, she bashfully looked down. "I see…"

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine…"

Her response didn't convince him at all. So in an attempt to find out, Ryuji placed his hand on her forehead. "You feel a little warm…"

The sudden contact of her senpai's hand made her heart skip a beat. However, it was nothing more than a fleeting moment of bliss made evident when he pulled his hand away.

"…, but you don't seem to be coming down with anything." Feeling relieved it was nothing serious, he smiled. "That's good."

Chihiro tried to respond, but when she met his eyes again, no words came from her mouth. She simply sat there with a mixture of shock and awe on her face.

An awkward silence passed between them.

"Anyway, I think it's about time we joined the others." Just as Ryuji was about to stand up to leave, he felt a tug on his shirt.

"Wait…"

He turned around and stared into his kouhai's eyes for the second time today. "What's wrong Chihiro?"

"Did I… say anything weird in my sleep last night?" She finally asked.

"No, you didn't say anything and even if you did. I went to sleep after you did, so I wouldn't have heard you either way." He answered.

Chihiro breathed a sigh of relief as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her chest.

"Was that all? And here I thought it was something serious." Ryuji shrugged.

"But, I was really worried about it though…" The young first year protested.

"What am I going to do with you?" He sighed.

"I'm the one who should be saying that." She countered.

They maintained eye contact for a second before descending into laughter.

*Slide!*

"Ah! Both Onee-chan and Onii-chan are awake!"

The all too familiar voice came from the now open doorway.

"Good morning Ri-chan." Chihiro said greeting her with a smile.

Her younger sister wasted no time in jumping into her lap and wrapping her arms around her waist. "Good morning Chi~Onee-chan!"

"Your sister is as energetic as ever."

"Good morning Onii-chan!"

Ryuji didn't think he was ever going to get used to being called that, but he greeted her all the same. "Good morning Rise."

"Sensei told me to come and get the both of you because we'll be having lunch soon." Rise explained.

"Lunch sounds good right about now." Chihiro responded

Ryuji nodded in agreement.

Rise immediately grabbed the both of them by an arm and practically pulled them out of the room. Where she got the energy to do so, they could only wonder as they were completely sucked into her pace. Once they started traversing the hallways, the pair of high school students really started to appreciate where they were. The Takagi Estate was an impressive site just from the outside, but inside the mansion was even more so. It wasn't just how spacious it was, but how it seemed to strike a balance between a traditional Japanese style like the room they slept in last night and a modern Western flare that they only now were just noticing.

"This mansion is really something else. It feels like I stepped into a completely different world." Chihiro stated clearly quite overwhelmed by it all.

"I hadn't really noticed it before, but it does give off a different vibe doesn't it? Compared to the mansion I live in, it makes for a nice change of pace." Ryuji responded.

The young first year tilted her head. To say she was intrigued was an understatement. "You live on an estate like this too?"

"Well to say like this isn't quite right. The estate itself is really old fashioned to the point where entering the grounds is tantamount to stepping back into Feudal Japan." He explained.

Chihiro's eyes lit up. "That sounds amazing. I wish I could've seen what Senpai's home was like."

"If you want, I can take you there sometime."

"Really!?" She was completely caught off guard by her senpai's proposal, but quickly regained her composure. "I mean… I look forward to it…"

"Boo!" Rise pouted.

She shifted her attention to her younger sister. "What's the matter Ri-chan?"

"It's not fair. I want to go and play at Onii-chan's house too." She protested.

"Of course you're invited too. I'll introduce you to my older sister." Ryuji chimed in.

"You have an Onee-chan of your own? What's she like?" The younger sister asked with a childlike curiosity in her eyes.

Ryuji thought for a moment on how best to answer. "If I was to describe her, I'd say she's a lot like you. I'm sure you'll become friends the moment you meet her."

"Yay, I get to play with another 'Onee-chan!'" Rise exclaimed before darting off.

"Ri-chan! Don't run in the hallways." Chihiro warned, but her voice seemed to fall on deaf ears as her younger sister ran farther ahead and rounded the corner.

"She seems really happy." Ryuji commented.

"Yes, but I just don't want her to…"

*Thud!*

Chihiro sighed. "…hurt herself…"

They quickly chased after Rise and saw her on the ground rubbing her head. In front of her were three men in suits with two of the men lifting a heavy box.

"What do you think you're doing kid?"

Rise tilted her head up and saw one of the adults towering over her.

"We're busy here. We don't have time deal with you."

Confused and afraid, she didn't know how to respond until she felt two arms wrap around her.

Chihiro had kneeled behind her and pulled her into a loving embrace. "This is why I said not to run."

"Onee-chan… I'm sorry…"

"As long as you understand then it's fine."

"Are you this kid's sister?" The adult asked.

"That's right." Chihiro answered calmly.

"Do you realize we're working here?"

"Yes, I apologize for any trouble my little sister has caused you."

"Is that all you have to say for yourselves?" As soon as he started to approach them, Ryuji stepped in between them. "And what do you want?"

The demon knight got on his knees and right before the agitated adult bowed. "These two are my responsibility. If you plan on punishing anyone, punish me."

The showing seemed to have made the adults uncomfortable to say the least.

The agitated adult took a moment and sighed. "Get up."

Ryuji did as instructed.

"I shouldn't have overreacted like that, but still you kids shouldn't be interfering with the adults. There's a lot of work that needs to get done."

"I understand and again sorry for the trouble."

"Just don't let it happen again." He walked off before muttering something under his breath. _"If it wasn't for that stupid cat girl last night…"_

"_Did Kokonoe do something yesterday?"_ Ryuji wondered.

The other two adults continued with their work and left as well.

"Onii-chan…"

Once he was sure they were gone, Ryuji turned around and faced them. "We should get going too."

"Chihiro softly pet her sister's head. "He's right you know."

"Okay…"

Picking up where they left off, the trio made their way to the dining room where the sound of laughter could be heard emanating from the doorway.

Rise burst into the dining room first. "I'm back, Sensei!"

"Welcome back Rise-chan." Reimi responded.

"Good afternoon, Sensei." Chihiro greeted with her usual demeanor.

Ryuji did the same. "Good afternoon."

Upon entering, the source of all the noise was made clear. Everyone from the Touhou fifth grade class was seated at a large rectangular table in the center of the room eating lunch. The teacher stood up from her seat and approached them. "Good afternoon Chihiro-chan, Ryuji-kun." She greeted back with a smile. "You all must be hungry. Please, sit down and eat with us." She gestured to the three empty seats next to her.

Without another word, they took her up on her offer. Three individual packaged boxed lunches lie on the table in front of them. Just like her classmates before her, Rise wasted no time ripping off the packaging and happily digging into her food. The two high school students on the other hand took time to examine the food more closely.

"This is a convenience store bento." Chihiro stated.

"That's right. They acquired these from a nearby convenience store yesterday." Reimi explained.

"I see…" The first year responded before staring down at her lunch. Acquired was a careful choice of words on her teacher's part. By acquired, what she really meant was scavenged. Chihiro realized this whole situation wasn't a horrible nightmare you could wake up from; it was the cold reality they lived in. She turned her attention to her sister and took comfort in knowing she was safe. _"I wonder how our parents are doing. I hope they're safe."_

"Onee-chan…? Are you alright?" Rise asked sensing something was wrong.

Chihiro immediately snapped out of it and shook her head. "I'm fine Ri-chan."

Rise was reluctantly accepted her answer and resumed eating. "Okay…"

Chihiro did the same as she tore the packaging off her own food and finally dug in.

Her brief change in mood didn't go unnoticed for Ryuji was watching her very carefully. Even as he silently ate his food, he would occasionally steal glances at the young first year. Despite not having much of a social life in high school besides his sister, he wasn't completely ignorant social interaction. Just in the few days he spent with his kouhai, he became very good at telling whether she was happy or sad; if she was worried about something or something bothered her. Then again, she was the type of person to wear her heart on her sleeve. So it didn't take much for him to realize something was on her mind, but now wasn't the time to bring it up.

Except for all the noise an entire room full of young children can cause, lunchtime passed without incident, after which everyone gathered on a fully equipped patio in the backyard. Spacious was one word used to describe the Takagi Estate and the backyard was no exception. The lawn seemed like it was well tended to as it was a vibrant shade of green which stretched into a natural barrier of trees that encapsulated the entire property. Not a single cloud in the sky obstructed the afternoon's brilliant blue sky or the beauty of the forest's horizon which it illuminated.

Rise's eyes lit up with a mixture of excitement and childlike innocence as she stood at the edge of the patio staring at the breathtaking sight. The rest of the class had similar reactions.

Chihiro who stood a few feet behind her could only say the first word that came to her. "Amazing…"

"I know, right? I was surprised too when I came out here earlier today." Reimi stated.

Ryuji on the other hand quietly leaned up against the wall of the estate and crossed his arms, watching them from a distance.

Barely able to contain their excitement, one of the students exclaimed, "Let's go play over there!"

The rest of the students followed her lead with a resounding cheer.

"Don't go too far out!" Reimi shouted.

"Yes!"

She placed her hands on her hips and sighed with a smile before taking a seat one of the nearby chairs.

Unlike the other students, Rise was the only one who remained on the patio.

"What's the matter Ri-chan? Don't you want to go out and play with your friends?" Chihiro asked.

"I want to stay here with you Onee-chan." The younger sister smiled.

"Okay…"

The pair of siblings took their seats next to the teacher and watched the rest of the children play what appeared to be a game of tag.

"It's hard to believe they still have that much energy left after all the playing they did this morning." Reimi stated.

"It must be tough being a teacher…" Chihiro responded.

"I'd be lying if I said this job was easy, but it has its rewards." A gentle breeze blew through Reimi's hair as she watched her students play on the horizon. "Amazing isn't it? Even with everything going on they can still laugh and smile like it's just another day."

Chihiro had trouble finding the right words to respond as she saw the raw emotion displayed on her sensei's face in the form of a smile. It was unlike the usual smile the teacher would display as the first year thought she could see tears forming, but the moment ended so quickly she couldn't say for sure one way or the other.

"By the way, did you have any trouble looking after the children last night?" Reimi asked upon returning to her normal demeanor.

"They were no trouble at all. As a matter of fact, everyone was on their best behavior." Chihiro answered as emphatically as possible.

"Is that so? I'm glad to hear it. I was worried about it since Kokonoe-san dragged me away so suddenly last night. It's really thanks to her that we're able to stay here and given such special treatment."

"Special treatment…?"

"If you remember all the tents that were setup outside when we first entered the property, apparently that's where the other survivors are staying. We were originally going to stay with them."

"Eh!?"

Reimi couldn't help giggling at her reaction. "You don't have to act so surprised Chihiro-chan. We're the strangers that came onto their property; it only makes sense if you look at it from their perspective."

Chihiro looked at her sister with a thoughtful expression. "Even though we have so many children with us…?"

"Kokonoe-san brought up the same point, but no one listened to her. They just kept mocking her appearance mainly how she appeared to be a kid herself. She ended up getting angry and forced them to see things her way. Thinking back on it now, I saw some amazing things. I didn't think the human body could spin in mid-air so many times before hitting the ground."

"Spin in midair…? Just what exactly did Kokonoe-san do to them last night?"

Reimi's eyes narrowed, her expression becoming slightly darker as she responded with another question. "Heh… Are you sure you really want to know?"

Chihiro broke out in a cold sweat. "On second thought, I think I'm better off not knowing."

"Don't worry. I think she's someone we can trust. Even though she doesn't smile and isn't exactly the nicest the person to be around, she really does care about the children. Anyone who likes children can't be all bad."

"I envy your optimism." She replied with a halfhearted smile. _"If only I could be as optimistic as you."_

Reimi stood up and walked towards the first year. "Cheer up, okay? If you keep on looking so sad…" She shifted her attention to her current student. "…you'll only make others worry about you."

Chihiro did the same and took a good look at her younger sister.

"Onee-chan, are you sure you're alright?" Rise asked.

"Ri-chan…"

"She isn't the only one. Isn't that right Demon Knight-san?"

Ryuji nearly fell over when the teacher called him that. "You noticed?"

"It was hard not to. You were staring at Chihiro-chan with such an intense expression after all." Reimi explained.

He wasn't sure whether to be surprised the teacher knew he was watching them or at the nickname she just teased him with.

Now it was his kouhai's turn to be surprised as she didn't understand how everyone figured her out so easily. "Even you Senpai?"

"You're not exactly good at hiding your emotions." A light blush tinted Ryuji's cheeks as he continued, "Even I could tell something was wrong…"

Chihiro blushed as well. "I-I see…"

An awkward silence hung over them.

Reimi suddenly clapped her hands getting everyone's attention. "Alright, it looks like you two have a lot to discuss. Rise-chan, let's leave them alone for a while and go play with the rest of the class."

Rise seemed reluctant to leave. "But…"

The teacher knelt beside her student and whispered something into her ear.

"Okay Sensei…" The fifth grader got out of her seat and walked to her teacher's side.

"Do your best you two." Reimi said before walking hand in hand with Rise.

Chihiro wordlessly watched them leave as she tried to wrap her head around just happened.

Taking this chance, Ryuji got off the wall and sat in the chair next to her. "Chihiro…?"

"Yes, Senpai…?"

Ryuji had his kouhai's attention, but now was the tricky part. He had to ask what's bothering her. Unfortunately, a good way to start that conversation eluded him. So instead, he said the first thing that came to his mind. "We're alone now."

"Yes, that's true." She replied before she resumed watching the children play.

"_Good job stating the obvious."_ He internally sighed.

And with that, the conversation was cut short and another period of awkward silence ensued.

Chihiro started, "Um…-"

"You know…" Ryuji said at the same time as they faced each other.

"You first, Senpai…"

Ryuji took a deep breath to calm down before beginning, "I know I might not be the best person to talk about these things, but if there's something on your mind, I'll gladly listen to whatever it is. Even if you don't want to talk about it right now, I'll wait till you're ready. I guess what I'm saying is, if you need me, I'll be here for you." There, he told her how he felt. It would've been much easier to do if the mood wasn't so awkward at the start. That being the case, it wasn't like he expected a response. Rather, it was just something he wanted to make sure she knew.

Chihiro didn't reply right away. Instead, she took a moment to let what he said sink in, replaying it over and over in her head, a smile came to her lips. "Thank you. That really means a lot to me."

"You're… welcome…" Ryuji managed to choke out. Of course he was relieved that his kouhai seemed fine now, but more so than that, he was stunned by how beautiful she was when she smiled. As he continued to look at her, a faint angelic glow appeared to radiate from her entire being. It was exactly like last time, except now it was brighter than before. _"Am I the only one who can see this?"_ As he pondered the question, he felt his pulse rate increasing as a very warm feeling grew in his chest except now it was even more intense than yesterday. _"This feeling again… What is this feeling?"_ Still, there was no answer. It was unlike anything he had experienced and as such, had nothing to compare it to or any clue as to what it could be.

"Um… Don't stare at me so much… It's embarrassing…"

"Sorry…"

Just like that, they were back to where they started; unable to make eye contact due to the awkwardness of the situation.

"Actually, there is something I'd like to discuss." Chihiro paused to collect her thoughts, watching as her younger sister played tag with her friends before continuing. "About what's happening, it's not just limited to Tokonosu City right? I was worried about how my parents were doing. They both work as politicians and are out of town on a business trip at the moment. I was just wondering if they're safe."

"Did you try calling them?" Ryuji asked.

The first year shook her head. "Cellphones weren't allowed in school."

Ryuji pulled a cellphone from his pocket. "Here, use mine."

She reached for the phone, hesitantly taking it from his hands and slowly dialed her mom's cellphone number.

*Ring!* *Ring!* *Ring!*

"_Hello, who is this?"_

"_Mommy…?"_

"_Chihiro…? Is that you?"_

"_Yes, it's me mommy…"_

"_I'm so glad you're safe…"_

"_Ri-chan is here too. Hang on, I'll go get her."_

Chihiro bolted off the patio and towards her sister. "Ri-chan!"

Ryuji watched as the sisters interacted with each other. He could only guess at the conversation they were having with their mother, but if their happy expressions were anything to go by, everything was going to be all right now. Realizing he wasn't going to be needed anytime soon, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

About half an hour later… "Onii-chan! Onii-chan!"

Ryuji opened his eyes and was greeted by both Chihiro and Rise.

"Sorry for waking you up. I wanted to let you sleep, but Ri-chan insisted." The first year explained.

"I was just resting my eyes, don't worry about it."

"Um… here…" She handed him back his cellphone.

Ryuji slipped the communications device back into his pocket. "I take it everything went well?"

"Yes, Ri-chan and I were able to say everything we wanted to them." Chihiro stated.

"We got to talk to mommy and daddy lots and tell them all sorts of things." Rise added.

"That's good." Ryuji looked into Chihiro's eyes and saw no sign of the sadness that was there before, instead what he saw was pure undulated joy. "I'm happy everything worked out for you in the end."

"Senpai… thank you…" The first year replied in a softer tone.

"You're welcome…"

However, before they had a chance to breathe, Rise took both their hands. "Let's all play together to celebrate!"

"Okay, Ri-chan. I'll play with you for as long as you want today." Chihiro smiled.

Both sisters shifted their attention to the third year and eagerly awaited a response.

Knowing there was no way out of it, Ryuji sighed in defeat. "All right, I get it. I'll play with you too."

For the rest of the day, the trio played tag and other various games with the rest of Reimi's class. Afternoon soon turned into evening and as it was starting to get late in the day, everyone returned to the mansion. Reimi took her class to their room to clean up for dinner, while Ryuji and Chihiro sat at the bottom of the main stairway of the foyer waiting for them.

"I play with Ri-chan all the time at home, but it's quite a different experience playing with others her age." She stated.

"I know what you mean. The last time I played like that was in middle school. Thinking back on it now, those were some pretty fun times." He responded.

Chihiro narrowed her eyes and decided to take this opportunity to tease him a little. "Careful, if you keep talking like that you'll start sounding like an old man."

"Very funny…" Ryuji responded in a sarcastic tone as he crossed his arms.

That didn't faze the first year in the slightest as she seemed really happy with herself. "Really…? I thought so too."

Over the past few days, the two high school students have been through some interesting and unique situations with each other. However, the time they spent together so far allowed them to become comfortable with one another to the point where they're able to hold normal conversations with ease, except for the occasional awkward moment which seemed to occur more frequently with time. Despite that, it was clear that they truly enjoyed being in each other's company and something even more was starting to develop between them.

For the first time in a long time, Ryuji truly felt content. He cast his gaze towards the front doors as he spoke. "Chihiro…?"

"What is it, Senpai?" The first year asked in her usual tone.

"I'm really glad I got to know you." He stated.

Chihiro blushed, before casting her gaze forward as well. "Me too… I'm really happy I got to know you too."

The pair sat on the stairs in silence, only this time; it was to make sure the moment lasted as long as possible. They faced each other again, but just as they were about to continue their conversation, the front doors swung wide open and a bunch of familiar faces as well as new ones entered through the foyer.

Ryuji scanned the faces of the people he recognized, saying their names one after the other. "Rei, Takashi, Saeko, Kohta, Saya, Shizuka-sensei… It's good to see everyone again."

They all appeared to be healthy, except for Rei who was leaning on Takashi for support and armed to the teeth, especially Kohta who had several different kinds of guns on his person.

"Kohta-chan, are they friends of yours?" A little girl with shoulder-length pink hair curiously asked as she tugged on his jacket.

Kohta knelt down to her level. "That's right. His name is Ryuji and her name is Chihiro."

"My name is Alice Maresato. It's nice to meet you."

*Woof!*

"Zeke says hi too."

Zeke, a puppy with a white coat of fur and a black ear flops obediently sat next Alice. He wore a dog collar with a bone ornament hanging at the front.

"It's nice to meet you both." Chihiro responded.

"Saeko-san, it looks like your hunch was correct." Takashi stated.

"So it was." The violet-haired girl replied.

"Onee-chan!"

Everyone's attention shifted to the source of the voice.

"Ri-chan, did you finish getting ready?" Chihiro asked.

"Yeah, I did exactly what Sensei said and washed my hands." Rise answered.

Chihiro approached her and pet her head as a reward. "Good girl."

Rei couldn't help, but think the scene was adorable. "Aw…"

"Sorry about that, this is my little sister. Go on, introduce yourself Ri-chan."

"I'm Rise Mihoshi! It's nice to meet you all!" She exclaimed.

"It's such a small world isn't it? To think we would meet up again. I'm just glad you're both safe." Shizuka stated after they all finished exchanging greetings.

"Yes, I feel the same way. I'm happy we were able to meet up with everyone again." Chihiro agreed.

"Why is everyone standing at the doorway?"

"That voice… Sis…?" Ryuji called out.

The person in question who entered the foyer was a brunette with her hair tied in a single ponytail. "Yo! Long time no see Ryu."

"Senpai, is this person…?" Chihiro chimed in.

"Yeah, this is my older sister. Reo Arisawa." Ryuji confirmed.

"You two are siblings?" Saya asked as if to confirm it one more time.

"Yes, that's right." Reo answered.

Saya's eyes grew wide in shock as she realized who this person was. "I thought your voice sounded familiar! You're that crazy woman we were speaking with on the phone!"

"Am I…? Then you must be the same group of students who were with Ryu back at Fujimi High." Reo reasoned.

"My, yet another coincidence… How interesting…" Saeko smirked.

"Yeah, life's funny like that." The brunette agreed.

"More importantly, what are you doing here Sis?" Ryuji asked.

"That's kind of a long story…"

**AN: This chapter was hell to write. I had to rewrite the intro three to four times, before I was happy with it and even then I ended up rewriting sections of this chapter as I went on. That and I usually only managed to write 100 to 200 words a day made this a very difficult writing process. Anyway, I accomplished what I wanted to do with this chapter. It even turned out to be longer than usual. Chapter 8, whenever I get to it will be a surprise, but for now I'm going to take a break. Highschool of the Dead belongs to Daisuke Sato and Shoji Sato. I wish they'd release a chapter 31 already and Dungeon Fighter Online belongs to Nexon. R. I. P. DFO NA.**


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone continued their conversation in the dining room where dinner was served. Takashi's group especially Saya was surprised to find a whole class of elementary school girls staying in her home. Regardless, it was the first time since this whole mess started that they were able to take it easy.

Later on that evening…

Ryuji and Chihiro met up with Reo in one of the many guest rooms riddled throughout the house. Unlike the room the pair was staying in, this room had a more western theme to it. It came complete with a wardrobe, television set, and a lavish queen-sized bed which Reo was sitting on the side of with her legs crossed. The other two were seated in a red couch directly across from her.

"Um… is it okay for me to be here?"

"Is there any reason you shouldn't be?" Reo quipped.

Chihiro wanted to make a good first impression, but she was so nervous even that simple task proved difficult. She did her best to face Reo, but instead of looking directly at the brunette, her gaze was more cast downwards toward her feet. "It's just that both you and Senpai have a lot of catching up to do and I thought you'd want to be left alone."

Sensing her nervousness, the brunette tried to be as welcoming and friendly as possible. "Oh, don't worry about it. You're not intruding on anything important. Right, Ryu?"

"That's fine. I'd actually prefer if Chihiro stayed. I don't want to keep any secrets from her." Ryuji responded in a more serious tone than usual.

Upon hearing those words, a mixture of surprise and happiness filled Chihiro's being and a small smile came to her lips. "Okay, I'll stay…"

"All right, now let's try this again…" Ryuji took a moment to compose his thoughts. He's lived with his sister for eight years, so he's used to all of her antics. That being said though, dealing with her every day still proved to be a struggle. "What are you doing here? And give me a real answer this time."

Reo sat there with her eyes closed, her arms were crossed in a way that accentuated her cleavage, and her head tilted to the side. There was a serious expression on her face as she took the utmost care in choosing her next words. Then, as if a light bulb had flicked on in her head, she opened her eyes and continued where she left off. "To make a long story short; I came to see how you were doing."

"Why…?"

"Why you ask…?" Reo was clearly caught off guard by the question, but countered with one of her own. "Isn't it only natural for an older sister to check on her little brother?"

"You got bored and came here to kill time, didn't you?" He deadpanned.

"When you say it like that, you make it seem like I'm slacking off." Whatever sense of credibility she had as being serious about the situation had was thrown out the window, a fact which didn't seem to bother her that much.

"I knew it…"

"Oh, come on. At least give me some credit. You're making me look bad in front of Chi-chan." Reo pointed out.

"I don't have any negative impressions about you." Chihiro stated as she suddenly stood up from the couch. "On the contrary, I think you're amazing for coming all this way just to help your brother."

Reo got up from the bed and approached the young first year. Standing in front of her, she dramatically grabbed her hands and held them there while staring into her eyes with an intense expression. "You understand me…"

Something changed within the first year. Unlike before, she was now brimming with confidence as she felt something similar to a kinship with the brunette. "Older sisters like us have to stick together in times like this."

"I totally agree with you. Let's be friends from now on."

"Yes, lets…"

"Try not to spoil her too much Chihiro. Next thing you know she'll shout "sparring time" and attack you out of the blue." Ryuji warned.

"I wouldn't do that to Chi-chan!" Reo protested.

Unsure of how to react, the first year let out a light chuckle and nodded.

"Oh, that reminds me. I need to thank you."

Chihiro tilted her head in confusion. "Thank me…? For what…?"

"For keeping an eye on my little brother while I wasn't there of course. It must've been hard for you considering how dense, unreliable, and socially awkward he can be at times." Reo answered.

Ryuji knew his sister was joking, but at the same time he couldn't deny those claims either. He was definitely dense when it came to certain things, he was only reliable when it came to fighting, and to say he was socially awkward was the understatement of the year. He knew all too well what his short-comings were, though having them said aloud and in front of his kouhai no less did make him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"That's not true at all. Senpai was the one protecting me… He even helped me save my sister and everyone else at her school. Even now, he continues to look after me. I'm very thankful for that." Chihiro explained.

"I didn't do everything. You've helped me out too… more than you realize… I'm the one who's thankful." Ryuji responded.

An awkward silence ensued as the both of them practically admitted they liked each other, but it seemed like they were completely oblivious it. Everyone except for Reo who casually asked, "Did something happen between you two?"

Both Ryuji and Chihiro looked at each other, before blushing and shifting their gazes away from each other.

"The looks on both of your faces…" Reo clutched her sides as she descended into fits of laughter. "It's priceless…"

The young first year's cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Sis, I know you get your kicks out of teasing me, but please don't drag my kouhai into it as well." Ryuji sighed.

Reo complied with his request and stopped laughing. "Sorry. Sorry. I couldn't help myself."

"You can at least act like the older one…" He responded in an attempt to reason with her.

"But, that's not fun at all!" She cried out.

"Fine, do what you want."

"Oh, I will."

"Why do I even try?"

Chihiro couldn't help, but giggle at the situation. "The both of you really are brother and sister…"

The irony of that line was not lost on him. After all, he was the one who originally said it. "Thank you for reminding me."

"Nice one… Chi-chan…" The brunette gasped in between laughs as she clutched her sides.

"Reo-san… It wasn't that funny…" Chihiro responded, but failed to sound convincing as she continued to laugh.

"Well, if you can't beat them…" Ryuji sighed before smiling.

*Knock!* *Knock!*

"Come in!" Reo exclaimed.

The door opened revealing an all too familiar lab coat wearing cat-like woman.

"Sensei…? Where have you been all day?" Ryuji asked.

"If you must know, I was working here the entire time. Anyway, I'll be borrowing Reimi again, so look after her students in her stead tonight as well. That's all I wanted to say." As Kokonoe was about to leave, her eyes happened to glance upon the brunette. She stared at her for a few moments before ultimately turning around and continuing on her way.

"Wait! Aren't you going to ask me why I'm here?" Reo asked.

"I'm sure whatever answer you come up with will only piss me off."

"That may be true, but…"

"Fine, answer me this. If you're here then who is doing your job?"

"It's someone trustworthy and reliable."

"So in other words, the first poor soul you set your sights on."

The brunette rubbed the back of her head. "Was it that obvious?"

*Slam!*

"That went over better than I thought."

Ryuji got up from the couch and turned his attention to his kouhai. "We should get going too."

"Yes…" Chihiro stood up as well before bowing to his sister. "It was nice meeting you Reo-san."

As they were about to leave, Reo blocked the door. "Wait, I'm pretty good with children. Let me watch them tonight."

"Sis, looking after children and acting like one are two different things."

"I know that, but I figure you two could use some time to yourselves." Reo explained before making her way through the door. "Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

*Slam!*

An awkward silence passed as they stared at the closed door.

Realizing he was yet again roped into another one of his sister's whims, Ryuji sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry about her…"

"That's okay, Senpai. I think Reo-san is a very interesting person." Chihiro reassured him.

"Oh, she's something alright…"

On the other side, Reo stood with her back against the door and smiled to herself. _"What an honest girl. It's no wonder you've taken such a liking to her Ryu."_ Left alone with her thoughts, the brunette started walking down the span of the hallway and noticed a familiar twin-tailed girl coming towards her. Deciding not to engage the pinkette, she walked past her and went on her way.

"Wait!"

Reo stopped in her tracks. _"Of course, it wouldn't be that easy."_ She turned around and responded to her. "Yo, Saya-chan. Did you want something from me?"

Saya stood with her arms crossed and glared at Reo. "I want an explanation."

Reo couldn't help, but smile at her. She knew how strong-willed the girl standing before her was and that she wasn't going to take no for an answer. _"You haven't changed at all…"_

"Did you say something?"

Realizing she almost said too much, the brunette feigned innocence and played off her miss spoken line. "Nothing at all… So, you want an explanation? What exactly do you want me to explain?"

"Earlier today, in the Higashi Hills urban district… I want to know what did you at the time we were surrounded by 'them.' How were you able to do something like that?"

"Earlier today…?" Reo repeated as she began to recall events in question. _"Time for a Flashback…"_

"uhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

The undead swarmed the urban district of Higashi Hills. Their numbers were so great it bordered on ridiculous and the sight was enough to crush any hope of their being any survivors at all. Well, any hope that a normal survivor might have…

"Doppelganger Blast!"

Illusionary clones of what appeared to be a single pony-tailed female exploded on contact clearing an area in the center of the walking corpses.

"Nen Guard!"

In the open area, a blinding semi-circle of golden light appeared. The source of the mysterious light was none other than Reo. She was on her way to the Takagi Mansion via motorcycle when she suddenly found herself in the mess she's in now. The dead were attracted to sound and the use of those techniques was more than enough to get their attention as they congregated around the barrier and attempted to break it down. Now without a motorcycle and surrounded on all sides, she contemplates her situation before deciding there's no other option. Amidst all the chaos, the brunette stayed calm and focused her power.

"_Awakening…"_

A visible aura of energy formed around her.

"Nen Flower…"

Five flower buds of nen energy were summoned around the barrier. The newly manifested phenomenon didn't deter 'them' as they continued their relentless assault. However, it didn't take long till each individual flower bud matured and blossomed. Each flower glowed with a golden hue which kept growing in size and intensity until the area was swallowed up in its radiance.

It seemed like the entire urban district had been wiped from existence and in its stead was a void of white almost as if someone had taken an eraser and used it to erase a doodle in a notebook. However, that hypothesis was soon proved false as the effect of the technique started to wear off and the light slowly disappeared bringing everything back into view. The urban district was indeed still in one piece with not a single rock out of place. The only thing that changed was the presence of the undead. Not a single trace of 'them' could be found almost as if they were the only ones wiped from existence.

In the middle of it all stood Reo, who for a brief moment had what appeared to be the wings of an angel sprouting from her back which faded into nothingness. Satisfied with the results, she stretched her arms before heading on her way. As the brunette turned around, she noticed she wasn't the only one in the area. Just ahead of her, were a group of survivors which consisted mostly of high school students, a nurse, a child, and a puppy which stared her with widened eyes and mouths agape.

The last thing Reo wanted was for people to see her use her awakening skill. She just didn't want the hassle of explaining herself to them when they inevitably ask her what she did. She was about to run away when she heard the youngest of the survivors spoke up.

"An angel…! A real live angel from heaven came to save us!"

At those words, Reo gave up any plan of escape she had. How could she when that child referred to her as an angel? There was only one option left to the brunette. She raised her hand and greeted them.

"Yo, I'm Reo. What are your names?"

"_And scene…"_ Reo looked the pinkette in the eyes and smiled. "I'm sorry, Saya-chan. I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb!"

"I don't know if anyone has ever told you before, but you're really cute when you're angry."

"What was that!?"

"You heard me." Reo licked her lips like a predator would as it stalked some unsuspecting prey. "I've got you all figured out. You're easily angered by things you don't like, you always consider yourself right and by default everyone else is wrong, and on top of all that you have your hair done in twin tails." She crossed her arms and nodded to herself as if confirming everything she listed was fact. "There's no doubt about it. Saya-chan…" She dramatically pointed at her target before going for the kill. "You are a textbook tsundere!"

Saya honestly didn't know how to respond to the accusation and not because she couldn't come up with a legitimate counter argument. On the contrary, she was just simply shocked by how ridiculous the whole situation was. However, the more the words echoed throughout her mind, the more irritated she became. _"Is she making fun of me? Just who does this woman think she is? And where does she get off addressing me by my first name and adding 'chan' on top of it?"_ Just thinking about it made her blood boil and she wanted nothing more than to give Reo a piece of her mind.

"Are we interrupting something?"

Both girls turned their attention to the source of the voice. Shizuka and Alice were walking towards them.

"Not at all, in fact I'd say you came at a perfect time. Right, Saya-chan…?" Reo winked.

As much as Saya wanted answers, she realized now wasn't the time to make a scene. Reluctantly, she went along with the brunette's whims. "That's right. We were just finishing up. Did you need something?"

"Yes, Alice-chan wanted to show Reo something." Shizuka responded.

Alice walked up to the brunette and presented her a drawing. "Here…"

Reo knelt down to the little girl's level and accepted the gift. "Thank you." She took a good look at the picture and figured out the drawing was of all of them. She was able to tell who was who because it had their names beside each of person.

"You like it…?"

"I love it, but why am I flying and why does it look like I'm in the center of the sun?"

"It's because you're an angel." Alice smiled.

There was that word again. Reo wanted to clear up that misunderstanding and now was as good a time as any. "Alice-chan, I'm not an angel. I'm human just like you."

"But, you were glowing and I saw you sprout wings from your back…"

"Well, there are reasons for that…"

"Reo Onee-chan…" The seven year old stared into the brunette's eyes and looked as if she was about to cry. "Are you really not an angel?"

"Alice-chan…" Reo really wanted to tell her the truth, but at the same time she didn't want to disappoint her. It was the quite the predicament she found herself in, but she made a decision. "Fine, I get it. For you, I'll be your very own guardian angel."

Alice's face lit up with a smile and in the midst of her excitement she jumped on the brunette and hugged her.

Reo melted into her embrace and returned the hug with an equal amount of affection.

Shizuka was beside herself with how touching the scene unfolding before her was.

Even Saya had to admit it was adorable as her facial features softened and a smile came to her lips. _"I guess my questions can wait till tomorrow."_

Reo ended the hug and placed her hands on Alice's shoulders. "It's getting late. You should go with Shizuka-sensei and get some sleep."

"Okay…" The seven year old walked back to the blonde nurse's side. "Good night…"

"Good night Alice-chan, Shizuka-sensei." Reo responded.

"Good night everyone…" Shizuka yawned before escorting Alice to their room.

Reo watched them leave before directing her attention back to the drawing. "I'm going to find a nice frame for this."

"Alice seems to have taken a real liking to you." Saya pointed out.

"Yeah, she's a good kid." Reo agreed, before turning towards the pinkette and looking her in the eyes. "Well, good night Saya-chan."

Saya watched the brunette walk away before doing the same. "Good night…"

**AN: To Darkis Shadow, thanks for continually dropping reviews. To DarkDervish's review, if you're still reading, a HOTD reaction to an awakening was sort of what I was going for when I came up with this story. I hope I satisfied that with this chapter. It feels good to finally have that moment on paper even if it's through a flashback. This chapter also introduces Ryuji's older sister Reo who's completely out there in terms of personality. I was sort of channeling Neptune from Hyperdimension Neptunia when I wrote her dialogue. She's also a Nen Master / Blazing Flower, so that's a thing. Anyway, Chapter 9 will cover episode 10 The DEAD's House Rules with quite a few changes. Till then, Highschool of the Dead belongs to Daisuke Sato and Shoji Sato and DFO belongs to Nexon.**


	9. Chapter 9

Day four…

**I figured you guys could use a change of clothes. Pretty sure I got your sizes right. Oh, I also managed to get your sword back. Try not to give it up so easily next time. I did come a long way to bring it to you after all. You can't say I never did anything for you.**

Ryuji sighed as he finished reading her sister's note. He was thankful for the clothes, especially after he had just taken a shower and it would've been more than inconvenient to change back into his school uniform which he'd been wearing for the past three days now. That still didn't explain why this new set of clothes all happened to be the same shade of blue. He was wearing blue pants with a pair of blue boots which had a white stripe trailing down the middle of each leg and a plain blue sleeveless shirt with a blue headband around his head. All things considered, he was thankful that it was just an ordinary pair of clothes with just a plain blue and white color scheme.

Ryuji's single-edged zanbato leaned against the side of the red couch. He had to give up his sword as soon as he entered the Takagi Estate not that he minded. This place seemed secure enough and to be honest he was too busy babysitting the children with his kouhai to even notice its absence. Though, he supposed if his sister deemed it necessary to return it to him, he wouldn't complain. He picked up the blade by the sword belt it was still sheathed in and donned it once more.

"Senpai, can you help me with this?"

Ryuji redirected his attention to his kouhai who happened to be changing in the bathroom. When his sister had left him alone them alone together, he was so caught up in the moment that he hadn't realized the room had a private bathroom till he woke up the next morning. Oddly enough if it wasn't for his sister's interference, they probably would've ended up sleeping through the day again. "I'm coming in."

Chihiro was wearing a pink kimono which had a simple floral pattern on it. She practically had the whole thing on already, but was having trouble putting on the obi which was a belt that tied the kimono together and also happened to be a darker shade of pink than the rest of the garment.

He took the obi from her and began to wrap it around her waist. "Couldn't sis have found something more casual for you to put on?"

"I don't have a problem with it. I'm just grateful to have some fresh clothes to wear, but it's been a while since I've worn something like this."

"You don't have to be so polite all the time. It's okay to complain every now and then too." Ryuji suggested as he tied both ends of the obi together for her.

"If I did that, it would be like I was taking things for granted and that wouldn't be fair to the people who weren't as fortunate as I was." Chihiro responded as she made some final adjustments to her garment.

"I'm sorry. That was thoughtless of me." The third year apologized.

Chihiro turned around and faced her senpai for the first time today. "Please don't apologize. You're the reason I even managed to get this far after all."

Ryuji was at a loss for words now that he got a good look at his kouhai. Maybe it was the fact that they spent so much time together over the past few days or being awkwardly pushed by his sister into spending last night alone with her or even just her recent change in outfit being what finally made him stop and notice just how special she was. Even before this, he had been catching himself stealing glimpses of her a lot lately without really meaning to.

"Is something wrong?" The first year asked.

Realizing he was just staring at her without saying a word, Ryuji decided to say what was on his mind. "I wouldn't say that, but… you're cute. I mean that kimono looks cute on you."

Chihiro blushed at the compliment. "Oh, um… thank you."

"Yeah, so… are you ready to leave?"

"Yes…"

Meanwhile, in another part of the Takagi Estate…

Saya walked through the hallways of her home with a lot on her mind. She was wearing a new outfit consisting of a white short-sleeve buttoned blouse and a long black skirt with a pair of black boots.

"Good morning, Saya-chan." Reo greeted.

The focus of all her thoughts was none other than the brunette smiling at her without a care in the world. "How can you be so cheerful this early in the morning?"

"What's the matter? Not a morning person?"

Saya wasn't in much of a mood for the brunette's teasing, but she decided to endure it for now. Recomposing herself, she attempted pick up where they left off from last night. "Well putting that aside, I'm still waiting for an explanation."

"I suppose just saying I'm a guardian angel isn't going to cut it."

"Are you trying to piss me off?" The pink-haired teen snapped as she seriously started to lose her patience.

"Oh, lighten up. I'm just messing with you."

Feeling like she was getting nowhere, Saya decided to make her intentions as clear as possible. "Just so we're on the same page, I'm not going to take no for an answer. I expect you to seriously explain yourself not just to me, but also to the group of people I came here with otherwise I won't be satisfied."

Reo knew all too well just how stubborn the girl standing before her could be, so she did the only sensible thing one in her position would do. "Alright, you win. I promise to tell you everything I know."

Saya was surprised by her answer and even more so her sudden change in tone when she said it. She almost couldn't believe it was that easy, but as long as she was going to get some answers then there was nothing more to say on the subject. She almost felt embarrassed getting so worked up about it. "Well, as long as you understand then it's fine."

Reo figured she'd leave it at that for now, until she noticed the slight tinge of red on the pink-haired teen's cheeks. A golden opportunity had presented itself and she wasn't going to waste it. "Saya-chan…"

"What is it now?"

Everything was set. It was now or never. "Your tsun is showing."

It took a few moments for Saya to process Reo's words, but once she understood exactly what was said, any trace of her brief moment of weakness was gone replaced only by a seething anger. Saya didn't exactly understand herself why she was so irritated, but the way the brunette teased her in such a casual and carefree manner was really starting to get under her skin. Much like last night, she was this close to telling this cocky woman off.

"Good morning, Auntie Yuriko." Reo greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Reo-chan." The Lady of the Takagi Household responded with the same amount of enthusiasm. She had long, light purple hair and eyes of matching color. She was dressed in typical aristocratic attire which consisted of a very expensive and tight-fitting red dress with a plunging neckline, a white cloth wrapped around her arms and mid to lower body, and silver necklace with a small charm on the front.

"I can see you two have a lot of catching up to do, so I'll take my leave." Reo stated taking a slight bow, before leaving.

Saya couldn't believe it. That was the second time that the brunette not only made a fool of her, but the second time she got away with it as well. _"Did she just say, Auntie Yuriko? Does she know my mother? Just who exactly is she?" _Saya wondered as she was able to calm herself down and think rationally about the situation. As much as she hated to admit it, there was some truth to what the brunette said. Steeling herself, she attempted to start the conversation. "Good morning, Mama."

Having had her fun for the morning, the brunette decided to check up on Saya's friends. Reo thought it best to check up on Rei Miyamoto first, since she was recovering from a back injury. Being somewhat familiar with the layout of the mansion, she came to the guest room with relative ease.

"NO!"

Under the impression the girl she came to check on was under attack, Reo took a combative stance as she thrust opened door. She thought she was ready for anything only to be silenced by what was actually happening. A fully nude Rei was being 'assaulted' in a manner of speaking, by Shizuka who was rubbing some kind of ointment to her back while Takeshi held her down on the bed. It took a few moments for Reo to process what was actually happening and as the three of them noticed her presence, she came to a conclusion. "Oh, I get it. You guys are having a threesome."

"We are not having a threesome!" Rei yelled clearly distraught by the brunette's assessment of the situation.

"I'm applying some medicine to the road rash on her back to prevent it from getting infected." Shizuka clarified as she continued to thoroughly spread the oily substance over the infected area.

"It hurts!" Rei screamed as she squirmed under Takashi's hold.

The male teen was completely focused on keeping her from moving till the blonde nurse finished the application.

"I guess I'll leave you guys to it then." Reo stated before backing out of the room and closing the door behind her. Having nothing better to do for the moment, she casually crossed her arms and leaned against a nearby wall.

A few minutes later…

"Get out you traitor!" Rei yelled effectively kicking Takeshi out of the room and slamming the door closed.

"Lover's spat?" Reo asked.

"I guess you could call it that." Takeshi sighed.

The brunette playfully punched his shoulder. "Oh, cheer up. Things could be worse, right?"

He couldn't argue with that especially considering everything that's happened so far. "Thanks again for what you did yesterday. I'm not sure what would've happened, if you hadn't shown up when you did."

"Don't mention it." She responded.

"Fine, you're always right!"

Directing their attention to the source of the yelling, they saw Saya storming down the hallways. She was clearly in a foul mood and it wasn't hard for Reo to figure out exactly why.

"What's wrong, Takagi?" Takashi called out her.

"Didn't I ask you to call me by my given name?"

"Oh, right. I'm sorry." The male teen apologized.

"You're a man, aren't you? Don't apologize for every little thing!" Saya shouted.

Takashi wasn't sure why he was being yelled at, but for fear of pissing her off even further he stayed silent.

Noticing he wasn't going to say another word, Saya took a deep breath and calmed herself down. Taking her frustrations out on him wasn't going to get her anywhere.

"I know I've said this before, but you really are cute when you're angry especially now that I get good look at you in broad daylight." A familiar voice chimed in.

"What was that!?" Saya furiously looked around for the perpetrator who dared to poke fun at her. "Where are you!?"

"I'm right here." Reo answered as she stepped out from behind Takashi.

The male teenager was sweating bullets as the atmosphere grew tenser by the second. He couldn't tell if Reo was brave or just plain crazy to intentionally antagonize Saya like that.

Saya balled her hand into a fist seemingly struggling to contain her anger, before resolving to point as threateningly as she possibly could at the brunette. "You better keep your promise!"

"Of course I will, Saya-chan." Reo smiled.

The pinkette sighed once more before taking her leave. At least the brunette was using her given name even though she didn't give her permission too which was another issue entirely.

Seeing she was walking away without so much as explaining what was wrong, Takashi once again attempted to call out to her. "Hey, Ta… I mean Sa…"

"Enough already!"

Takashi expected that sort of response, but he figured it didn't hurt to try. "Geez, what's her problem?"

When Saya was completely out of sight, Reo dropped her smile. "Why won't you call her by her first name?"

The male teenager was caught off guard by the serious question especially since the person asking has done nothing, but joke around so far. Seeing the usually carefree brunette being unusually serious all of a sudden was jarring to say the least.

"Is it really that hard to do, even though she wants you too?" She pressed him for an answer.

"It just felt like the right name to call her by at the time." He meekly responded.

"So basically you're intimidated by her because of her wealth or family background or some ridiculous reason like that."

Takeshi couldn't really deny it, when it was so said so plainly to his face like that. This was the first time he had come to Saya's house and it was like he stepped into an iron fortress. There's no way he couldn't be intimidated to some extent. "What about you? Why do you address her so casually?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's because we're childhood friends."

"Are you serious?" He asked to confirm whether or not she was messing with him.

"I can assure you Reo-chan is speaking the truth." Yuriko said reaffirming the brunette's response as she approached them.

"Auntie Yuriko, I guess things didn't go so well between you and Saya-chan." Reo stated as casually as ever.

"Unfortunately no, I really upset her this time. I'm sorry if my daughter troubled you."

"It's fine. I've known her since kindergarten, so I'm used to it." Takashi said hoping to reassure the lady of the house.

This was news to Reo as she had no idea Takashi and Saya were childhood friends as well. "You've known her since kindergarten and still address Saya-chan by her last name? No wonder you have so much trouble with women."

Takashi didn't really know how to respond to that. Without even trying the brunette had basically verbally defeated him. If there was a fork nearby he was sure it would be stuck in him because he was done. "No comment."

"You'll have to forgive Reo-chan. She's always been blunt when it came to stating what's on her mind. Even my daughter has a hard time dealing with her sometimes." Yuriko explained.

Reo placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out with confidence. "I'm proud to say that Saya-chan has never once beaten me in an argument."

"If I didn't see it for myself, I wouldn't have believed it. I've never been able to win an argument against her once since kindergarten." Takashi stated.

"That's just sad Takashi." Reo responded.

Yet another blow to the male teenagers pride. It might as well have been a punch to his stomach.

"Maybe I went a little too for with that last remark. I can see you're struggling with this so I'll give you some advice on how to handle Saya-chan. It's guaranteed to work or your money back."

"Achoo!" In another part of the house Saya sneezed. Someone must've been talking about her behind her back.

"Kyaaa!"

Stopping what she's doing, the pinkette went towards the scream. Looking around the corner, she spots Ryuji and Chihiro down the corridor. From her perspective, it seemed like he had caught the first year before she tripped and was helping her up.

"That was close. Are you alright?" He asked.

"I forgot how hard it is to walk in a kimono. I'll be fine if I take it step by step." She responded.

Seeing his kouhai struggle more than she was try to let on, Ryuji did the only thing he could think of and extended his hand to her. "Would it help if you held onto me?"

"If it's not too much trouble then I'd like to take you up on that." Chihiro hesitantly took his hand before quickly closing the distance and practically started clinging to his arm.

Ryuji was surprised to say the least. He figured they'd just be holding hands like they usually did. It felt strange thinking of something like that as normal to him or the idea that he'd get used to holding hands with his kouhai. However, this was on another level. "Chihiro…"

The first year realized how bold she was being and this was extremely embarrassing for her, but she couldn't take it back now. "I'll be in your care, Senpai."

Realizing she was counting on his help, he accepted, "Leave it to me." He slowed his walking speed to match her pace as they continued onward. It was a little tricky walking like this, but it was nice in its own way.

Saya who happened to be spying on them from around the corner couldn't help getting frustrated at what she just witnessed. "It's like watching one of those awkward high school romance anime otakus seem to rave about. It's obvious to anyone they like each other, just hurry up and confess already."

"Saya, what are you doing?"

Saya turned her attention from the idiot couple to the fat gun otaku standing in front of her. He carried a large bag of all the weapons they acquired from Rika's house some of which happened to be partially showing. "It's nothing worth mentioning. What have you been up to? Messing around with your guns again?"

"How did you know? I guess that's our group's genius for you." Kohta responded genuinely impressed by her deduction.

"Are you complimenting me or making fun of me?" She asked with a slightly annoyed expression.

"It was supposed to be a compliment." He clarified hoping she wouldn't go into another one of her moods.

"That so…"

Feeling like he dodged a bullet with the pinkette's mood swings, Kohta decided to change the subject since he had some good news of his own to share. "Anyway, you'll never guess who I ran into."

Saya wasn't expecting much from the gun otaku to be honest, but she had a few minutes to spare and it wouldn't hurt to at least hear him out. "It must be someone amazing if you're bringing the topic up."

"I just talked to my teacher from Blackwater USA."

"What's a mercenary from an American contractor doing here?" She asked as her interest was finally piqued.

"He said he was escorting a school full of elementary school girls to a shelter when he and the class he was with got separated from the others by a group of 'them.' Long story short they took a detour and ended up here." Kohta explained.

That certainly sheds some light on why a whole class of children were staying at her house, but it couldn't have been a coincidence that a mercenary was sent to assist with evacuating the same school Ryuji and Chihiro were at. More importantly why was he even sent to an elementary school in the first place? She needed more information. "I suppose you wouldn't know who ordered him to do such a thing, huh?"

"He said Reo asked him to do it as a favor."

It was surprising to hear Reo's name come up, but even more so that a mercenary would give up their employer's name like that so easily. She had to wonder if Kohta was really good friends with him or this 'mercenary' was just an idiot. Either way, she got a lot more out of this than she was hoping for. "That was some really useful information, I'm actually impressed."

Now it was his turn to be confused. Words of praise were a rare occurrence from this girl, so he just had to make sure he wasn't misunderstanding anything. "Was that supposed to be a compliment or-"

"It was a compliment!" She shouted.

"Thank you." He responded hoping his words of gratitude would smooth things over.

Saya took a deep breath to calm to herself before walking away. "Just shut up and follow me."

A bewildered Kohta followed closely behind her. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to hold a meeting with the others and finally get some answers from Reo."

"Achoo!" Meanwhile, Reo and Takeshi having finished their conversation with Yuriko were walking toward Rei's room. "I wonder if Saya-chan is talking about me."

"I admire your confidence."

Reo could tell Takeshi was nervous. Who wouldn't be after hearing out what Yuriko had to say? Things were only getting worse in the city and it was only a matter of time before they lost electricity and water. So Yuriko and her husband planned to the power plant with anyone who has the will to survive and take full responsibility of water and electricity for the city. All she wanted Takeshi to do was persuade their daughter to trust them hence his nervousness. "There's no need to be so worried. I'm sure you'll be fine if you follow my advice."

The male teenager couldn't tell if she was joking around or being serious. The supposed 'advice' she gave him was likely to get him killed or worse. "I'm pretty sure only you're the only person who could actually make that work."

"You think so?"

Before the brunette could get anymore strange ideas, Takeshi changed the subject. "Still I was surprised to learn that you two were childhood friends as well. I wonder why she hasn't said about it anything yet."

Reo actually wondered this herself, but figured that between how long it's been and the world ending that recognizing an old childhood friend was very low on the Saya's priorities right now. "Well it has been a few years since I last visited. She probably doesn't recognize me."

"I see…"

Having made it to their destination the both of them stopped in front of the door to Rei's room.

"Do you mind keeping this between us for now?" The brunette asked.

It seemed like a simple favor and Takeshi saw no reason to refuse her. "I don't mind, but may I ask why?"

Reo took a deep breath as if mentally preparing herself to say something awkward and embarrassing. "I'd prefer it if Saya-chan remembers on her own and it'd just be embarrassing to tell her at this point."

"Your secret is safe with me." The male teen responded hoping the clichéd phrase would set her mind at ease.

Reo playfully hit his shoulder, before placing her hand on the knob. "Well look at you. Let's go inside, everyone is waiting for us."

"Right…"

**AN: It's been over a year since I updated this story, but in honor of DFOG making a comeback here is Chapter 9 of Demon of the Dead. It sort of covers the first half of episode 10 of Dead House Rules. I'm actually overflowing with ideas now, but organizing them and making them flow is a different issue altogether. If any of you still reading this have an idea on how you want the story to flow or something you'd like to see I'll take it into consideration. That being said, bonus points to anyone who can guess who Kohta was talking to in the garage. It should be self-explanatory. Highschool of the Dead belongs to Daisuke Sato and Shoji Sato and DFOG belongs to Neople thank God.**


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